An email conversation I had today gave me an occasion to re-look at some items I had posted on the Sturbridge For Bernie Sanders Facebook page.

The first item was posted on September 28 with the headline from above.

Speaking in Boston, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) says black Americans still face violence, economic injustice and restrictions to voting rights. She highlights the efforts of activists in the Black Lives Matter movement. (Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate)

It had a three minute excerpt from the speech that I thought was excellent.

I was looking for reaction from the Black community when I came across the article that I posted on Facebook on September 29.

This post was about the Color Lines article ICYMI: Elizabeth Warren Talks About Structural Racism and Black Lives Matter.

I focused on a dissenting view of Warren’s speech.

But some wondered online if Warren isn’t just riding the wave of the movement in an attempt to win black votes. Arielle Newton, founder of the Black Millennials blog, wrote on Facebook

At the time I posted the article, I didn’t have time to listen to the 55 minutes of the entire speech from which the above clip was taken. Later someone who had taken the time told me that I really ought to listen to the whole thing. Today, I finally watched and listened.

During her talk at the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate on Sunday, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass) gave a speech that bore the heart of the structural racism that activists have long known to be the sparks that necessitated the Black Lives Matter movement.

Warren touched on many topics that are key to the every day lived experiences of black people in America, covering everything from housing discrimination, to police violence, to domestic terrorism, to the gutting of voting rights.

This was such a great speech. It had me and the audience close to tears at some points. How I wish Bernie Sanders could make a speech like this. That wish is even taking into account that Bernie Sanders delivers one heck of a rousing speech when ever he makes an appearance.

October 6, 2015

People on Facebook have been so resistant to the message I am trying to convey, that they missed the comment in the Color Lines article I mentioned above. Even though I quoted a bit of what I was trying to emphasize, people’s mind filters seem to be so strong, that they still missed it.

Perhaps if I quote the entire section below, they will have a harder time missing it. Unfortunately, I will not be surprised if they still resist understanding what Arielle Newton said. I didn’t say agree. All I am asking people is to consider why she might have the feelings she expressed. In all the management courses I ever took, they always told me you cannot deny a person’s feelings. You may disagree about whether they should or should not have those feelings, but you cannot tell them that they do not have the feelings they profess.

But some wondered online if Warren isn’t just riding the wave of the movement in an attempt to win black votes. Arielle Newton, founder of the Black Millennials blog, wrote on Facebook:

Black Lives Matter (as a Movement and affirmation) holds tremendous political capital. Folks can literally get votes and funds if they court the growing Black vote that is disillusioned by of the system and is ready to divest from it.

Black folk are conditioned to accept so little, to the point where we applaud white folk for recognizing our work, labor, analysis, and most importantly…our lived existence. We praise a white women who made credible our claims against institutional racism. We laud a white women who probably wouldn’t have delivered these words had it not been for sustained protest and uprisings. We uplift a white women for doing what she’s supposed to do. …

If you wanna praise Sen. Elizabeth Warren for the words that’ve been uttered, written, screamed, chanted, whispered, and proclaimed by many Black folk, fine. But don’t get complacent.