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Editorial
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No Need To Tell?
Race For Governor
How Can Black Candidates Win Their Elections? Donna Brazile And Michael Steele Say, Just Keep It Real
Andrew Gillum of Florida, Stacey Abrams of Georgia, and Ben Jealous of Maryland are each running for governor of their respective states. By Natasha Alford
With a record number of Black candidates running for office this year, there has been a lot of excitement about what their wins could mean in No- vember.
From Stacey Abrams in Georgia to Andrew Gillum in Florida, earning votes could translate into making history as the first Black gov- ernors of their states (for Abrams, the first Black woman governor ever). But how can these candidates, who are mostly newcomers to the political game, compete in traditionally red states, so much so, that they’ll gain the trust of the majority of voters?
Veteran political strategist Donna Brazile and former RNC chairman Michael Steele, weighed in Tuesday night during “The Future Is Now: Reviving Civility” lec- ture at Howard University, sponsored by WHUT-TV.
“It matters who you sur- round yourself with,” Steele told theGrio exclusively. “Of- tentimes what happens in these campaigns is consult- ants come in and they reshape the personality of the candi- date. I’ve already begun to see
it happen in a couple races and it’s unfortunate. My bet is they lose.”
“The one thing people have a nose for is authenticity. They can smell crap a mile away. Particularly in the Black community, we’ll sit very politely... ‘But I ain’t vot- ing for you,'” Steele contin- ued.
“You’ve got to know ‘when you’ve crossed that point where people see you as something other than your- self.”
Steele praised what he sees as a strong start for Gillum, who defied polls and won the Democratic primary in Florida last month.
“I’ve watched Andrew Gillum on a number of shows, like ‘Meet The Press.’ I was like yeah, he’s got it. It comes through. It comes through the box, that authen- ticity.”
“There’s a playbook for African-Americans running statewide,” Brazile told the- Grio after the lecture at Howard University.
Highlighting the past wins of Governor Deval Patrick, President Barack
Obama, and former Sena- tor Carol Mosely Braun, Brazile points out that win- ning political campaigns has to be more than just a popu- larity contest for these Black candidates.
“If you look at history, you have to be a viable candidate and prove that. They have been able to build coalitions. Now, it’s time for them to broaden their message and their appeal because inde- pendents are the key to win- ning in the fall.”
Brazile also offered praise for Abrams, saying her efforts in Georgia are en- larging the electorate with ap- peals to independents.
“We have a record number of African-Americans also running for Congress. One hundred percent of the De- mocrats who are newly elected nominees and you have women winning their primaries... It’s huge, just the sheer volume,” said Brazile.
“I’m telling all of them, go beyond their base. Yes, the base is important, but they have to build a bridge which will take them over and allow them to win.”
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wo women recently discussed the recent charges
of sexual assault against Supreme Court nomi- nee Brett Kavanaugh and a major New York daily newspaper’s Editorial that chastised Kavanaugh’s ac- cuser for bringing up the charges now – 30 years later. One of the women confided that at the age of 12 she had been terrorized by a much older cousin who repeatedly attempted to overpower her and rape her for more than a year before she told her mother.
The second woman confided that her stepfather still doesn’t know that an older nephew (who still comes to family gatherings) molested her when she was between the ages of 10 to 13. Both women said they understood why Kavanaugh’s accuser, Dr. Blasey Ford, waited so long to come forth because today they both have feel- ings of fear and feelings of shame when talking about their experiences.
Indeed, one of the women shared a story wherein a close friend’s son revealed he had been molested by his older god brother. So, there are both men and women who bear secret scars of molestation within their fam- ilies. Some people believe if the abuser didn’t share the information at the time the incident happened that there is no need to tell it, years later.
It is NEVER TOO LATE, however, to speak your truth about sexual abuse and molestation.
Both women and men support Blasey-Ford and urge all women and men to share their stories with a pro- fessional counselor, a trusted family member, or trusted friend.
Speaking your truth purges the fear, guilt, and shame that you may have been carrying around all these years.
The time is now . . . There is a need to tell and be set FREE. Seize it.
T
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2018 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 5