The Westside Gazette

PAGE 6 • OCTOBER 10 - OCTOBER 16, 2024
WESTSIDE
GAZETTE
Bobby R. Henry, Sr.
NEWSPAPER STAFF
PUBLISHER
Sonia Henry-Robinson
COMPTROLLER
Tawanna C. Taylor
ADMINISTRATIVE
ASST.
Pamela D. Henry
SENIOR EDITOR
Arri D. Henry
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Carma L. Henry
COMMUNITY NEWS
EDITOR
Sylvester “Nunnie’
Robinson SPORTS
WRITER
Elizabeth D. Henry
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NoRegret Media WEBMASTER
Carma T. Taylor
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Eric Sears
IT SPECIALIST
Ron Lyons
PHOTOGRAPHER
Levi Henry, Jr.:
PUBLISHER
(Emeritus)
Yvonne Henry:
EDITOR
(Emeritus)
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long as anyone is held back.
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500 words or less.
The Unstoppable Rise
of Black Women Voters
By Glynda C. Carr
As we approach this critical
election season, a remarkable
story unfolds across America.
Young Black women are not
just registering to vote at
unprecedented rates - they’re
poised to make their voices
heard at the ballot box like
never before. With a staggering
175% increase in voter
registration according to recent
data from TargetSmart, this
surge is not just a statistic; it’s
a powerful statement about the
future of our democracy and a
continuation of Black women’s
longstanding commitment to
civic engagement.
For nearly fifteen years, Higher Heights has been at the
forefront of empowering Black women politically. We’ve
witnessed firsthand the transformative power of Black
women’s leadership and civic participation. Now, as we face
one of the most consequential elections in recent history, the
importance of our mission - and the critical need to Get Out
The Vote (GOTV) - has never been clearer.
The road from Mayor to the White House is powered
by Black women. With 16 million of us eligible to vote, and
consistently higher turnout rates than most other groups, we
have been the determining factor in many races. Our voices
and our votes have shaped the political landscape, leading to
historic firsts:
● The first Black woman Vice President
●
●
The first Black woman on the Supreme Court
30 Black women in Congress
Yet, our work is far from done. We still have only one
appointed Black woman in the U.S. Senate, zero Black
women Governors, and we’ve yet to see a Black woman in
the Oval Office. We are winning, but we have not yet won.
The surge in voter registration among young Black
women is a testament to the power of our collective voice
and the urgency of this moment. But registration is just
the first step. Now, our focus must shift to ensuring every
registered voter casts their ballot.
But why do Black women consistently show up at the polls
in such high numbers? Recent polling with HIT Strategies
provides insight:
We know our power. 80% of Black women surveyed
believe we have the power to make change on issues that
matter most to our communities.
We demand greater representation. 82% of Black women
said it’s important to them that Black women be elected and
nominated to more positions of power in our government.
We are motivated by pressing issues. From the rising cost
of housing to restrictions on abortion access to threats on
honest education for our children, Black women are far from
single-issue voters.
We honor our history. We vote to honor the blood, sweat,
and tears of those who fought for our right to vote.
We’re more motivated than ever. Nearly two-thirds of
Black women said they are more motivated to vote now than
ever before.
But perhaps most importantly, we understand the ripple
effect of our engagement. As I often say, “When you fire up a
Black woman, she does not go to the polls alone, she brings
her house, her block, her church, her sorority, and union.” This
multiplier effect is the secret weapon of Black women’s political
power and the key to successful GOTV efforts.
At Higher Heights, we see this surge as both a challenge
and an opportunity. It’s a challenge to ensure that every
registered voter actually casts their ballot. It’s an opportunity
to harness this energy and enthusiasm to drive meaningful
change in our communities and our country.
As we look ahead to Election Day, we’re focused on key
races that can protect, defend, and expand Black women’s
representation. Our GOTV efforts are in full swing,
including:
● Phone banking and text banking campaigns
● Ride-to-the-polls programs
● Community outreach events
● Social media campaigns to raise awareness about voting
deadlines and locations
● Partnerships with local organizations to provide childcare
and other support services on Election Day
But our work goes beyond election day. Through our Sunday
Brunches, convenings, and debate watch efforts, we’re building
a community of educated, engaged Black women who are
ready to lead. We’re tapping into networks of historically Black
sororities and professional organizations, creating a powerful
coalition of change-makers.
The surge in voter registration we’re seeing today results
from years of grassroots organizing, community building, and
relentless advocacy. It’s a reminder that when Black women
lead, democracy wins. Now, our task is to translate this
registration surge into record-breaking turnout.
As we ramp up our GOTV efforts, let’s recognize this
moment for what it is: a turning point. The rising tide of Black
women voters is not just changing elections—it’s changing the
face of American democracy. We at Higher Heights are proud
to be at the forefront of this transformative movement.
To every Black woman who has registered to vote, who is
planning to vote, who is encouraging others to vote, who is
considering running for office, or who is simply engaging in
political discourse: your voice matters. Your vote matters. You
are the change we’ve been waiting for.
The path to a more representative, more equitable democracy
runs through the ballot box. This election season, let’s commit
to turning this surge into a tidal wave of civic engagement. We
may be tired, but we continue to soldier on, often shouldering
the responsibility of safeguarding our democracy and keeping
our country on the right path.
Deeply Rooted
www.thewestsidegazette.com
The Westside Gazette, under the Management of BI-ADs, Inc., reserves
the right to publish Views and Opinions by Contributing Writers that
may not necessarily reflect those of the Staff and Management of
The Westside Gazette Newspaper and are solely the product of the
responsible individual(s) who submit comments published in this
newspaper.
Melania’s Destiny with Democracy
“How does someone unfit and unstable rise to lead a nation? Its when
voters choose to turn a blind eye.” John Johnson II .. 10/09/24
By John Johnson II
The Book of
Esther tells a
divine story of
how Queen
Esther, the
beautiful wife of
King Ahasuerus
of Persia, and
her cousin Mordecai saved
the Jewish people. King
Ahasuerus’ Chief Minister,
Haman, plotted and schemed
to convince the King to
murder Jews throughout the
empire. However, will former
First Lady Melania’s destiny
with Democracy involve
saving Democracy?
Esther’s scriptures remain
highly read, discussed, and
a central topic for religious
sermons. Its lessons
demonstrate that one living
under a foreign power can
form a community bond. Such
a bond led to Esther’s and
Mordecai’s heroic actions to
save the Jewish people.
Continue reading online at:
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Black Voters are
A Cornerstone
of America’s
Rights and
Democracy
By Roger Caldwell
W i t h
only four
w e e k s
left before
voters head
to the polls,
the public
at-large
and Black
voters in
particular
are targeted with an
unprecedented volume of lies
and disinformation. Since
Black voters must receive
accurate knowledge and
information to safeguard our
rights, our communities must
be equipped with truth and
facts.
In 2024, the presidential
election must be built on the
foundation of fair and truthful
elections, but Donald Trump
and JD Vance appear to be
trying to out lie each other. As
Vice President Kamala Harris
and Governor Walz fight to
protect American children
Continue reading online at:
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The Fragments of the
World Seek Each Other
By Robert C. Koehler
“Driven
by the
forces of
love, the
fragments
of the
world seek
each other
so that the
world may
come into being.”
These words of Pierre
Teilhard de Chardin, from his
book The Phenomenon of Man,
may well be worth meditating
on every day. The forces of . . .
love? That is to say, the forces
of connection, the need to be
part of an evolving whole.
Perhaps this is my mission
in life: to help free these
words from the academic cage
that contains them. My God,
this isn’t just “philosophy.”
These words are geopolitical
— even though the core
concept here . . . love . . . has
been linguistically belittled
the moment it steps beyond
the personal. At best, it’s an
abstraction: “love of country,”
Continue reading online at:
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Cracking Open Gender’s
Role in Electing Presidents
By Rob Okun
Vice President Kamala Harris’s dramatic entry
into the presidential race in July—including
selecting Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her
running mate—put a new twist on the already
gendered nature of the election. A woman was
now at the top of the ticket.
Instead of Donald Trump’s and JD Vance’s
misogynous manhood solely driving the media narrative, there
was now a new story line: not only was a Black, south Asian
woman the nominee, there also was a counternarrative: the
egalitarian expression of manhood embodied by Walz and
Doug Emhoff.
From the GOP convention theme song, “It’s a Man’s World,”
to Hulk Hogan’s ridiculous tribute to old school manhood,
the Trump campaign gambled that their brand of “tough”
masculinity would be a winning strategy against President
Biden’s perceived “weak” portrayal of manhood. But Trump
was caught up short when—just three days after his convention
ended—he was facing a woman.
Into this fraught political moment comes a thought-provoking
film exploring presidential masculinity. The Man Card: 50
Years of Gender, Power & the American Presidency, is rich
with content and context for voters to make sense of the gender
politics playing out in the election.
Created by educator-author, Jackson Katz, The Man Card was
originally released in 2020. The updated and expanded 2024
version crackles with urgency now that Kamala Harris is
Trump’s opponent.
Continue reading online at: thewestsidegazette.com
TRUMP WANTS BLACK
MALES TO VOTE FOR HIM
WHAT DO THEY HAVE TO LOSE? A HELL OF A LOT
By Michael A. Grant
(TriceEdneyWire.com)-- Looking
historically at demographics, Black
men in America have for centuries
been singled out for the most vicious
and dehumanizing attacks on their
personhood and their manhood.
Without delving too deeply into
America’s dark past, one need only to
read the Autobiography of Frederick
Douglas to capture a glimpse of the
atrocious acts perpetrated against
Black men that began during slavery
and continued unabated with the murders of George Floyd,
Michael Brown, Eric Garner and others to understand that the
institutional animosity, the stereotyping and the marginalizing
is an everyday phenomenon that still defines the day-to-day
existence of many Black men struggling to survive in America.
Donald Trump continues to perpetuate a “Guilty until
proven innocent” mentality that too many in authority still
perpetuate. His record of racist and derogatory behavior
toward Black men is well-documented. To begin, he and his
father discriminated against African Americans who wanted to
rent Trump apartments in New York.
Continue reading online at: thewestsidegazette.com
Prevention is Better Than Cure:
Addressing Black Men’s Health
By Keith Dobbins, Atlanta
Coordinator for The
African American Male
Wellness Agency
Through the hustle of daily
life comes the story of Brian R.
serves as a poignant reminder
of the importance of proactive
health awareness, especially
within the Black community.
A close friend from Ohio,
Brian has always been a
picture of health, maintaining
a slim physique well into
his late 40s and early 50s.
However, a gradual weight
gain went unnoticed until
he participated in the Black
Men’s Wellness Day and 5K
Race in Atlanta.
Encouraged to undergo a
series of health screenings,
Brian discovered alarming
spikes in his wellness
numbers, revealing the
hidden fragility of his heart.
The onsite doctors’ urgent
advice led him to seek
further medical evaluation,
ultimately resulting in lifesaving
heart bypass surgery.
Brian’s journey underscores
not only the critical
need for regular health
check-ups but also the vital
role community events play
in fostering awareness and
preventive care among Black
men. His transformation is
a testament to the power of
Keith Dobbins
knowledge and the impact of
prioritizing health, a message
that resonates deeply in
discussions about Black men’s
health.
In the realm of health
and wellness, the mantra
“prevention is better than
cure” resonates profoundly,
especially when we examine
the alarming health
disparities faced by Black
men in the United States.
The statistics are stark:
approximately 70% of the
diseases that lead to premature
death among Black
men are preventable. This
reality not only underscores
the urgent need for proactive
health measures but also
highlights the critical
Continue reading online at:
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