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Grieve Your Way

By Camile Jene

I still remember losing my grandmother when I was 11. I was no stranger to funerals. I have an older family so by that point I had already been to 6 funerals. But this one was different. Gommie was my best friend. 

Profound grief.

Sadness overtook me. I cried so many tears and I let myself feel everything. I grieved how my mind knew how to at that young age. I think it helped me that I helped take care of her on her death bed. I helped bathe her, dress her, comb her hair, and I was able to see her in so much pain and honestly exhausted and ready to be free. So, though it hurt, I understood.

And fond memories help too. I still remember shopping with her on Wednesdays at this factory she would buy wholesale clothing from (and resale to her friends. She operated a “clothing store” from her garage). We’d finish up her purchases Thrifty’s (known now as RiteAid) to get her prescription and for a scoop of ice cream. She usually got strawberry. I got some off-the-wall flavor like confetti-bubble gum. 

When she got sick, I remember telling her I loved her every chance I could. I didn’t know what else to say. We could no longer chat like usual. And though she couldn’t say much, she would respond, “I love you, Camile.”

I will always miss her. 

I’ve written about grief before. When my mother first died, I was devastated and lost. Well… lost is an understatement. She passed away unexpectedly, and she died just 7 days before my son was born. Imagine losing your mother on Saturday and the very next Saturday you give birth to the son she was just as excited about! Yes, that pain was deep.

Profound grief.

I remember the strong suit my mother attempted to wear when she lost her mother. She tried to hold her tears and sadness so we couldn’t see her pain. She wanted to protect us but she needed to grieve and soon enough, she could no longer hold back and when she gave in to the grief, the floodgates opened. For many months she would just cry and cry. All the time… I remember her crying so much I thought, “Is Mommy broken?” I wondered if she would ever feel better. 

When I lost my mom, I understood her grief. Yes, I had a broken heart over losing Gommie but my mother’s heart shattered at the loss. As much as my grandmother was my best friend in the way a granddaughter looks up to her grandmother, she was my mom’s best friend, safe space, advocate, and so much more. And in addition to losing my mother, she lost her first true love in the same few weeks for the second time (a failed reuniting). Double heartbreak. A person can only take so much at a time.

Profound grief.

Mommy was my best friend. No one will ever love me as she did. No one will fight for and advocate for me as she did. 

When she passed, I let myself feel. Just like I was 11-year-old Camile. I cried so many tears. I didn’t shy away from any feeling that came up whether it be anger, regret, sadness, or defeat.

Three years out and I can say I am okay. No, life will never be the same but I’m at peace. I allowed myself to truly tap into the profound loss of my mom. I went to grief therapy and I did my best not to get lost or hide. 

 I will always miss her. 

As I see people around me losing loved ones, I want to encourage you to feel all your feelings. Cry, scream, rage, write, journal, go to therapy, shop, recognize patterns you want to eliminate, evaluate your life and how you’ll live even greater than before in remembrance of your loved one. Do not let this turn into an unhealthy infatuation with carrying on their legacy or projects though. You will need to find your sweet spot and then establish self-boundaries. 

Do all the things that will help you not get stuck in grieving your loved one in an unhealthy way. When you suffer a deep loss, it takes steps to overcome the profound grief. Take those steps. Immerse yourself in the process instead of stuffing down your grief. This will not help you. You do not want the mention of your loved one to trigger you for the rest of your life. You do not honor them by maintaining life as a walking corpse. Continuously re-memorializing them and living in an unshakable and perpetual state of sadness and depression will never bring them honor. If they lived a life that made you proud, in turn, live a life that will make them even prouder. If their story was still in the making and you feel their life cut too short, use their inspiration to further their legacy, vision, or work. 

Let the rest of your life be an addition to the life they lived. 

*Disclaimer: this is not directed toward parents losing a child. That type of grief if not one I have experience with. I cannot and would not direct someone on how to navigate that pain

10 Revelations About Marriage in 9 Years

  1. The love from a dedicated and committed spouse that truly sees you, is invested in honoring you, and puts you before them will cause you both to soar in ways unexpected.  When you give completely of yourself, your spouse will do the same.  No need to worry if you’ll be taken care of.  
  2. People are watching. They may never say a word. Some are judging you and waiting for you to fail. Many are cheering you on. Some are using your example to model or as a what not to do guide for their own marriage or future marriage. 
  3. What other people think does not matter. It is you two.
  4. Loving your spouse how they receive love is crucial to the survival and overall health of your marriage.
  5. Happy wife does in fact make a happy life. When the wife has joy and is fulfilled, the home runs more smoothly. The kids and the husband bask in that joy and peace she creates because she is at peace. But the husband is not responsible for this happiness. He can and should add to it. Spouses should add to each other’s happiness. But neither should lose themselves.
  6. Both spouses need to be fulfilled individually. Hobbies, trips, alone time –each needs to factor that in because life is hard and we need breaks from everyone, even our beloved.
  7. When a million things come at you all at the same time, you must look to God and keep your eye on your spouse. Both of you cannot drown. You will take turns being the “strong” one.
  8. The perfect marriage for you and your spouse is created by investing in one another. The kids do not come before the marriage. Date nights where you turn distractions off and tune in to one another are essential.  
  9. The way your spouse experiences can for them feel different than what you intend. You can truly think you’re giving your all but if that’s not how your spouse sees it or can receive it, conflict and resentment can arise. Checking in to discuss how your spouse is feeling tended to by you are important.
  10. People change, dynamics change but the vows you took never change. The commitment expectation does not either.

Mom Hacks for Daily Ease

By Camile Jené

Camile Jené

Yesterday, I woke up to fatigue. No, not your regular just dragging that coffee can fix. The overtired feeling that does not get quenched by a regular night of sleep. Yes, that! Pure exhaustion. I felt like I needed a nap. All. Day!

But that’s a dream for empty nesters. As a mother of young children, there’s no all-day naps unless on a personal, kid free vacation or a planned weekend at Grandmother’s. So, I had to break out my supermom ninja tricks in order to brave the day because children do not take time off.

Mom hack number 1: Yes-spaces. 

Yes-spaces are essential to a mom’s peace. These spaces are available for your child to roam freely without having to worry about them getting hurt by chemicals or dangerous object, and staying out of your no-no items. If you like, you can sit back, relax and even rest your eyes for a second but the point is you do not have to worry about danger or having to move things. The sockets are covered, entrances are child proofed as well, and there are enough toys and non-breakables to keep your child entertained without you having to constantly hover. Yes, to yes-spaces. 

For years I didn’t have a yes space and the stress of not having things properly locked down wore on me in a way I hadn’t even realized. The relief that a yes-space offers is priceless.

Mornings can be pretty exciting and a bit hectic. This hack saves the time of a sit-down breakfast but your car will not thank you for this mom hack. But I’d rather and unhappy car than hangry children any day.

Mom hack number 2: Portable breakfast

  • baked oatmeal (I recently got the tip to put these in a muffin tin! It’s even better than baking a large pan and cutting into bars. And less crumbs)
  • Pigs in a blanket
  • Breakfast sandwich with eggs, cheese and bacon
  • Waffles (folded like a sand which. Hold the syrup)

These work for us. We pair one of the options above with a piece of fruit or a yogurt smoothie. 

Food is important in our home as my next tip also has to do with food. Time to educatie the children, run successful businesses, and relax (it’s essential for productivity), is also important. Time management and dispersing my energy wisely is essential.

Mom hack number 3: Cook once per day

This has saved me on those days where I’m too tired at the end of the day. Too many times we have eaten fast food instead of a home cooked meal because I needed something quick. 

Cooking dinner either completely or the main dish while I cook breakfast or lunch has helped me ensure that my kids get a healthy meal at dinner time. 

If you prepare lunches at night or before work, you can start something in your crock pot right before you get started. Anything to maximize time at the end of the day is helpful. 

Those 3 hacks have saved me sanity and time each week for years.

Whether you incorporate these or other mom-hacks such as meal-prep or chore charts, implement ideas that will help your home work for you.

New to working from home? Here are some tips

By Chida Rebecca | Editor-in-Chief, Black Lifestyle Magazine

The idea of working from home has always been a glamorized one.  Rolling out of bed whenever you’d like, sitting poolside with your favorite drink at noon.  Man! That sounds like a day anyone would enjoy.  Especially if you find yourself working for a company that you may not particularly like physically going to.   In the last few weeks, we’ve seen corporations big and small come to a major halt due to COVID-19.  Businesses have essentially locked their doors and are requiring employees to work from home.  While some may have been excited, others are realizing that working from home is not for everyone.

I grew up in a family business and was accustomed to working for long hours at my desk. I had an innate discipline that helped me stay glued to my seat and maybe a little too much.  But as times changed and opportunities arose for me to work from home, I realized that I had to implement some different habits at home than that of my former office space.  For those of you that are new to “working from home,” here are a few tips I’ll share with you to help you in your transition.

1.    Pick a Designated Work Area

When I started working from home, I thought I could sit on my bed, spread out documents and my laptop and have at it. Well, I soon found that I would start off sitting up, legs crossed and attentive, then progressively move into a slouched position, followed by a full-on fetal position with complete attention on the television while my computer and papers were strewn off to the edge of the bed.  Talk about a reality check.  After being in denial about the obvious distractions, I opted to get an actual desk with a chair and sit there. I went from papers all over the house to everything being in one central location. The desk and chair in a designated part of the house started me off with the structure I need to work efficiently.

2.    Structure Your Time

This is a must. Try to keep the same hours you had when you were physically going to work. Working from home can be one of the biggest distractions there is.  From the television to the kitchen to the laundry and even YOUR BED! These are all things that will beg for your attention during the times you should be working.  When I first started working from home, my house seemed magical. It just had a different feeling on Wednesday at 11 am than a Saturday or Sunday at 11 am did.   If you don’t structure your time you won’t get anything done. The great thing about going to work is that your office was, for the most part, a space designated purely for work. It pretty much shaped how you worked and to what degree.  Your home is usually considered a place for rest and relaxation – a place you escape to. So, understand your brain is going to need some slight rewiring and some patience.

3.    Take Your Breaks

‘In the workforce, breaks are mandated. According to Psychology Today, “A ‘break’ is a brief cessation of work, physical exertion, or activity. You decide to give it a rest with the intention of getting back to your task within a reasonable amount of time.”  Did you know that sitting for long periods of time is said to put you at a higher risk of heart disease, diabetes, depression, and obesity? Simply stepping away from your desk and taking a walk, stretching or some form of activity can reduce the negative effects of too much sitting. If you have other individuals in the house, taking breaks affords you the opportunity to connect with them and shift your mind from any stressful thinking you may be engaged in.

4.    Create an End Time

Knowing when to start working is just as important as knowing when to stop.  When I initially started working from home, I found that when I got into a good flow, it was hard to stop. So, I wouldn’t. I would sit from 7 am until 11 pm at times with minimal breaks. I was determined to ride out the wave of productivity, sometimes working beyond midnight. My dad would always encourage me not to work past the midnight hour because I was cheating myself out of the next day.  He was right. Pushing yourself beyond an established cut off point can lead to burnout quickly.  Ultimately, it’s about setting boundaries with yourself. Give it your all within the time allotted and then stop. Put all your focus and energy into the hours you set, the same way you did when you physically clocked in at work. When you’re done – then you’re done.  Save work for the next day.  There will ALWAYS be something to do. Time is the one thing we cannot replace. Remember to unplug and regroup.


Chida Rebecca is the Editor-in-Chief is San Diego’s only digital Black lifestyle magazine called “Black & Magazine”. www.blackandmagazine.com

Black Vote Helps Push Biden to Frontrunner Spot, Beating Bernie and Bloomberg

By Aldon Thomas Stiles | California Black Media  

After a tough battle with Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-VT), former Vice President Joseph Biden sealed the frontrunner position in the race for the Democratic Party U.S. presidential nominee on Super Tuesday. Sanders; however, snatched a few key victories, one of which was California with 29.5 percent of the vote.

So far, Biden has picked up 390 Democratic National Convention delegates compared to Sanders’ 330.

The 2020 presidential primary election took place in California, 13 other states, and one U.S. territory (American Samoa) Tuesday March 3. Voters got the opportunity to back their favorite candidate to challenge President Donald Trump in November’s general election.

With five Democratic candidates remaining, after Mayor Pete Buttigieg dropped out of the race this past Sunday and Sen. Amy Klobuchar’s withdrawal Monday, Super Tuesday was a pivotal moment for presidential hopefuls.

Then, a day after the former U.S. vice president’s big win, former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg dropped out of the race and endorsed Biden, his former rival for the nomination.

Over the course of their campaigns, Democratic candidates have relied on several different demographics to help swing votes in their favor. One such demographic is African Americans, and these candidates all had strategies to secure that vote.

Some relied on targeted advertising blitzes. Biden, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Bloomberg’s camps all ran campaign advertisements touting relationships with former President Barack Obama.

Meanwhile, Sanders continued to invoke his involvement in the civil rights movement and his relationship with prominent progressive personalities like recording artist Michael Santiago “Killer Mike” Render.

Biden also claimed to have been arrested in South Africa in the 1970s while attempting to meet Nelson Mandela. He has since retracted that claim following evidence to the contrary.

Before Super Tuesday, in the South Carolina primaries this past weekend, Biden led the race with Black voters, clinching 61 percent of the Black vote, according to Washington Post exit polls. Sanders trailed Biden with 15 percent of the Black vote.

On Super Tuesday, Biden secured 72 percent of the Black vote in Alabama, 71 percent in Virginia, 62 percent in North Carolina and 53 percent in Tennessee, according to USA Today.

Bloomberg has had some controversy regarding Black voters resulting from his “stop-and-frisk” policies when he was mayor of New York City and from subsequent statements he made in 2015 defending said policies.

“So one of the unintended consequences is people say, ‘Oh my God, you are arresting kids for marijuana that are all minorities,’” Bloomberg said in his 2015 speech. “Yes, that’s true. Why? Because we put all the cops in minority neighborhoods… Why do we do it? Because that’s where all the crime is.”

Despite this, Bloomberg secured endorsements from several prominent African-American politicians like Assemblymember  Shirley A. Weber, chair of the California Legislative Black Caucus. Some Black members of the U.S. House of Representatives, including Rep. Lucy McBath (D-GA), Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY) and Del. Stacey Plaskett (D-VI) endorsed the former New York City mayor as well.

Several high-profile lawmakers, including U.S. House of Representatives Majority Whip Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC) — as well as former presidential candidates Buttigieg and Klobuchar — have endorsed Biden.

 Former President Barack Obama also gave Biden his blessing.

Warren only won 12 delegates, placing her last on Super Tuesday behind Bloomberg, who picked up 36. 

Editorial: To Push the Black Agenda in 2019

By Mic Flex

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK (ENN)— To push the Black dollar agenda, we need to start with the “consumer staple products”. Staples include companies that produce items such as food, beverages and non-durable household and personal products, also food or pharmaceuticals.

Let’s start with toothpaste, toilet paper and laundry detergent; these are type of items that we use on a daily basis. “To think Chinese” is to get such items price points down to compete at a reasonable rate.

To market these “CSP’s” to the Black community would be to structure a habit of buying a “pre-packed CSP” on a monthly basis based on family size “at a reasonable rate”. To the producers of products, how much pieces of items would you need to sell to get the price points that at what is required? Therefore, this would be a movement that would have to be on a global scale in order for our economy to thrive.

We have all these “CSP’s” available online through various web hosting’s, but we have to see it in the physical form. By that I mean our products must be available at the local swap meets the inland malls, anywhere that a Black person seems fit to open up an establishment they should have access to all these products.

Letter to the Editor: Who Benefits from Natural Disasters?

By Fred Lundgren, Huffington Post Contributor

In terms of human suffering, the answer is obvious… NOBODY!!! Our hearts and prayers go out to everyone whose lives are torn asunder from these horrific catastrophes. This article is not intended to divert our attention from their needs. Instead, it looks at alternative ways to restore their lives and their communities economically. 

Even before the torrential rains of Hurricane Harvey subsided, the SBA was sending out emails urging impacted home owners and businesses to apply for loans.

Each time a devastating storm reeks its havoc, the government wants to take a mortgage on land, homes or business assets which forces victims to pay them interest, or the government will guarantee bank loans so that banks can collect interest without exposure. Keep in mind that a loan is an asset to a lender and a depository account is a liability. This should answer any questions you might have about disaster recovery options. Just follow the money.

Think about it. Direct SBA disaster loans literally plug into the artery system of the community and drain off its blood for years, if not decades after a natural disaster.

AGAIN, LET’S FOLLOW THE MONEY. To fund a disaster loan, the government credits the recipient account which results in a digital entry that bears interest. In essence, every SBA loan become another form of government tax. As you will soon see, it’s an unnecessary tax.

The burden of interest gets attached to each disaster loan because in America, all money is borrowed into circulation. The federal government gave away its authority to create money with the passage of The Federal Reserve Act in 1913. As a result, the government borrows the money it needs to mitigate a natural disaster instead of printing it into existence which would be far more logical. 

Today, a majority of Americans are buried under a mountain of needless debt because our government fell under the control of a central bank and this absurd system gets more absurd after every natural disaster. 

When you spend a $100.00 “bill” you are spending bank credit that came into circulation when you, or someone else borrowed money. This system is doomed because everyone borrows the principal but no one borrows the interest when the loan is created. This creates a system of perpetual borrowing that eventually renders a debt based currency worthless, while concentrating the control of massive amounts of wealth in the hands of few powerful people and the government. Natural disasters accelerate and concentrate borrowing which only drags the economy further out of balance.

Take a look (below) at a traditional $100 dollar “bill”. This familiar series was issued for many years in America. The green stamp and the words “Federal Reserve Note” confirm that it’s a bill we owe that originated as interest bearing debt that we pretend is money.

A far superior way to handle the funding of disaster recovery and currency issuance in general, is to print UNITED STATES NOTES into circulation through the Treasury Department and avoid the Federal Reserve System. Then, our government could simply grant interest free money to disaster victims who will immediately spend it into circulation locally WITHOUT INCREASING THE PUBLIC DEBT, thus improving the economy and the asset base of the stricken area rather than creating more perpetual interest and debt. This can be done without increasing the public debt by a single dollar.

Take a look at a $100.00 “United States Note”. US Notes carry a red stamp and the words “United States Note” above the words “THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA”.

Just the mention of using America’s “people’s currency” to help families and businesses after natural disasters sends shivers up the spines of central banks around the world. 

Will the impact of the two worst natural disasters hitting America back to back be enough of a wake up call? Miracles happen. 

The President should declare a national state of emergency and begin spending the “people’s currency” into circulation in disaster areas before Hurricane Irma stretches the current debt system further beyond it’s limits.

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Kenya Brings in World’s Toughest Plastic Bag Ban: Four Years’ Jail Or $40,000 Fine

Producing, selling and using plastic bags becomes illegal as officials say they want to target manufacturers and sellers first

NATIONAL- Kenyans producing, selling or even using plastic bags will risk imprisonment of up to four years or fines of $40,000 from Monday, as the world’s toughest law aimed at reducing plastic pollution came into effect.

The East African nation joins more than 40 other countries that have banned, partly banned or taxed single use plastic bags, including China, France, Rwanda, and Italy. 

Many bags drift into the ocean, strangling turtles, suffocating seabirds and filling the stomachs of dolphins and whales with waste until they die of starvation. 

“If we continue like this, by 2050, we will have more plastic in the ocean than fish,” said Habib El-Habr, an expert on marine litter working with the UN environment programme in Kenya.

Plastic bags, which El-Habr says take between 500 to 1,000 years to break down, also enter the human food chain through fish and other animals. In Nairobi’s slaughterhouses, some cows destined for human consumption had 20 bags removed from their stomachs.

“This is something we didn’t get 10 years ago but now it’s almost on a daily basis,” said county vet Mbuthi Kinyanjui as he watched men in bloodied white uniforms scoop sodden plastic bags from the stomachs of cow carcasses.

Kenya’s law allows police to go after anyone even carrying a plastic bag. But Judy Wakhungu, Kenya’s environment minister, said enforcement would initially be directed at manufacturers and suppliers. 

It took Kenya three attempts over 10 years to finally pass the ban, and not everyone is a fan. 

Samuel Matonda, spokesman for the Kenya Association of Manufacturers, said it would cost 60,000 jobs and force 176 manufacturers to close. Kenya is a major exporter of plastic bags to the region. 

“The knock-on effects will be very severe,” Matonda said. “It will even affect the women who sell vegetables in the market – how will their customers carry their shopping home?” 

Big Kenyan supermarket chains like France’s Carrefour and Nakumatt have already started offering customers cloth bags as alternatives.

NAACP Statement on Steve Bannon’s Removal from the White House

The NAACP, the nation’s oldest social justice organization, released this statement following the removal of Senior White House Strategist and known white supremacist Steve Bannon from President Trump’s administration. 

“The NAACP is glad to see Steve Bannon out of the White House,” said Derrick Johnson, interim president and CEO of the NAACP. “Ousting one key staffer, however, can’t erase the words used by President Trump this week in defense of domestic terrorists, neo-Nazis and white supremacists. President Trump provided permission for these hate groups to exist. Following the travesty in Charlottesville, Virginia, numerous other rallies and white supremacist groups are being mobilized across the country. These groups are not rallying for peace, or for the preservation of Confederate memorabilia. They exist purely to foment hatred and violence. And they march with the president’s blessing.

“President Trump must denounce in words and in deeds these white supremacists and urge them to stop their senseless rallies and killings and unlawful demonstrations. We further call upon the President to remove the people who share Steve Bannon’s poisonous beliefs from the White House, including Stephen Miller and Sebastian Gorka. President Trump needs to send a clear message to our great country: That his administration disavows bigotry in all of its forms, and that racist ideologies simply will not be tolerated.”

Immigration Activists Denounce RAISE Act After President Trump’s Immigration System Proposal

By Jasmyne A. Cannick | California Black Media

President Donald Trump’s proposal for a new merit-based immigration system that would screen visa applicants using a point system may be racist and exclusionary but so is an immigrant rights movement that excludes, overlooks, and straight up ignores the voices of their darker skinned counterparts.

Last week immigrant rights activists decried the Republican-backed proposal known as the RAISE Act or Reforming American Immigration for Strong Employment Act, that would highly favor people between the ages of 26 and 30 with a doctorate, high English proficiency and a job offer with a high salary.   Applicants with the highest number of points would go to the front of the line to receive visas.

The Los Angeles area is home to nearly 3.5 million immigrants with approximately one million of them undocumented.  Here, public officials are quick to proudly tout the dozens of languages that are spoken by Angelenos and how much immigrants–regardless of their citizenship status–contribute to the city’s economy and culture.  In theory, Democratic politicians and immigrant right activists will tell you that all immigrants matter but in practice only one immigrant’s voice is only ever represented, celebrated or invited to the table.

Mass deportation and ICE raids under the Trump administration are not exclusive to Latinos.  Under Trump, more and more Africans and Caribbeans are finding it difficult to qualify for asylum or refugee status when they arrive at U.S. ports of entries–one of the primary ways that they can successfully stay in the country.

An estimated 575,000 Black immigrants were living in the U.S. without authorization in 2013, according to the Pew Research Center study, making up 16% of all Black immigrant’s population. Among Black immigrants from the Caribbean, 16% are undocumented immigrants as are 13% of Black immigrants from Africa.

The Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI) and New York University Law School’s Immigrants’ Rights Clinic 2016 The State of Black Immigrants report found that Black immigrants maintain higher rates of employment in service and sales positions than their counterparts of other immigrant backgrounds.

According to the BAJI, immigrants from African and Caribbean countries comprise most the foreign-born Black population. Jamaica was the top country of origin in 2014 with 665,628 Black immigrants in the U.S., accounting for 18% of the national total.  Haiti seconds the list with 598,000 Black immigrants, making up 16% of the U.S. Black immigrant population.  Although half of Black immigrants are from the Caribbean region alone, African immigrants drove much of the recent growth of the Black immigrant population and made up 39% of the total foreign-born Black population in 2014. The number of African immigrants in the U.S. increased 153%, from 574,000 in 2000 to 1.5 million in 2014, with Nigeria and Ethiopic as the two leading countries of origin.

Los Angeles has a large and vibrant community of Black immigrants that but you’d never know because they are seldom reported on or heard from in the fight for immigrant rights–a fight that is led and dominated by Latinos. And while I expect Republicans to overlook Blacks until it’s politically convenient to pit us against one another, I do not expect the party of coalition building, solidarity and ‘we’re stronger together’ to do the same.

Let me put this into the right perspective for you. The party that calls out people, organizations and Republicans for their exclusion of women, transgender, the LGBT community, people with disabilities, members of the Asian/Pacific Islander community, Latinos, Blacks, veterans, seniors and I could go on and on does not itself (or very rarely) include Black immigrants.

Seldom discussed in mixed company is the fact that African-Americans privately agree with Trump’s assertion that “illegal immigration” has harmed the Black community economically. And even though Trump has no problem throwing African-Americans into the mix when it bolsters his immigration agenda, immigrant rights activists haven’t been as willing to include Black voices in their shared fight.

I look at the fight for the undocumented in America and think–strategically–Latino immigrant rights groups would do good to include the voices and images of Black immigrants to gain support from an already apprehensive and on the fence nation of African-Americans who may need more convincing that the fight for immigrant rights affects Blacks.  Despite HUD Secretary Ben Carson’s belief that slaves were immigrants–most African-Americans do not see themselves as immigrants and many are wary of and oppose the Democratic Party’s insistence that “illegal immigration” doesn’t harm Black employment.  Like white gay rights advocates and the Black community–it wasn’t until the visibility and voices of Black LGBT folks increased that real advances were made on LGBT issues with Blacks who mainly say gay rights as affecting and benefiting wealthy white gays.

Trump and the Republican Party are not going to stop pushing their anti-immigration narrative that “illegal immigration” threatens the jobs of poor Black people.  Many African-Americans already believe that there’s a prevailing attitude among Latinos that they don’t need anything from us except for the blueprint from our fight for our civil rights.

The pathway to victory for Democrats on comprehensive immigration reform needs both Black immigrants and African-Americans to succeed. While Latinos may outnumber African-Americans in cities like Los Angeles the reality is that our vote still matters and neither immigrant rights activists nor the Democratic Party can afford for African-Americans to remain on the fence about immigration reform. We win elections by bringing people together and working together