Rep. Lewis is carrying some heavy water for Secretary Clinton’s campaign, and it’s not very flattering. Bernie Sanders is a civil rights leader. He has the personal history, the voting records, and the policy proposals. And John Lewis knows all about it, because throughout the 1990s he could count on Bernie to stand with him while Republicans worked to dismantle welfare and promote “tough on crime”, pro-prison policies. Bernie stood by Rep. Lewis and the Congressional Black Caucus when times were tough. Rep. Lewis appears to be having some short-term amnesia, so let’s look at Bernie’s record.
In Congress, Bernie Sanders Has ALWAYS Been An Ally of the Black Caucus
On of Bernie’s big accomplishments during the 1990s was organizing a Congressional Progressive Caucus to fight against welfare reform, the war on drugs, and the rise of “get tough on crime” policing. Why did Bernie see a need for the CPC? Because it could serve as an ally for the Congressional Black Caucus. Here’s what Bernie says in his own words from his book Outsider in the House:
“I was aware that, over the years, the most progressive positions in Congress had been articulated by the Congressional Black Caucus. For decades it had done an excellent in fighting not only for the needs of the Black community, but for the needs of low- and moderate-income people of all races.
When I was mayor, I became aware of the ‘alternative budget’ introduced by the Black Caucus every year. In this document, they showed how we could increase funding for affordable housing, community and urban development, health care, education, and the general needs of low- and moderate-income Americans by shifting the funding priorities of Congress. In a very simple and effective manner, their ‘alternative budget’ exposed the moral bankruptcy of congressional priorities. It was a terrific initiative and was widely used by political activists all over the country. For year, the Black Caucus had been, in effect, the progressive caucus in Congress.
But not every progressive in Congress is black, and so it seemed to me an important step forward to develop a caucus which brought all progressives together—white, black, Hispanic, Asian, male, and female—so that we could stand together in fighting for rational priorities.”
And that’s just what Bernie did. The CPC became a leading voice against policies promoted by Republicans, and also by the Clinton Administration, that have devastated black communities. Racial profiling, police brutality, and an unjust legal system all existed before the 1990 “reforms”, but after Republicans and the Clinton administration pushed them through, the system went from bad to horrific. Bernie stood with the CBC and opposed every so-called reform. He even stood with the CBC to oppose eliminating a program that provided Pell Grants to prison inmates. He was only one of a handful of white representatives that stood with the CBC.
Bernie Knows We ALL Need a Revolution
When the media gets around to mentioning that not all Americans are enjoying an economic recovery, they usually focus on the really bad figures for employment under the age of 30. What they fail to mention is that youth unemployment should be considered a national disaster among young African Americans. Youth unemployment has been hovering around 15-20 percent, but African American youth unemployment has been nearing 35 percent.
Bernie Sanders introduced legislation, in August 2014, that would provide $5.5 billion to states to fight youth unemployment. Although it was aimed at all 16 to 24-year-olds, he saw the legislation as especially necessary because of the crisis of African American youth unemployment. You can see the press release below:
www.sanders.senate.gov/…
Bernie Got Arrested for Protesting Segregation in Chicago Public Schools
Rep. Lewis may not have met Bernie, but Bernie was working to fight segregation in Chicago during the early 1960s. He was labeled an “outside agitator” and was arrested for spreading flyers protesting police brutality. He was active in both the Chicago Congress on Racial Equality and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. He was there for African Americans fighting segregation in the 1960s.
Bernie’s First Political Campaign Called for an to End Discrimination Against Gays and Lesbians (In 1971)
And it’s not just civil rights for African Americans. Before Bernie ran as an independent in Vermont, he was part of the Liberty Union Party, and he advocated for abolishing all laws that discriminate against gays and lesbians. I think this article by Zaid Jilani provides a pretty impressive example of Bernie’s political integrity. This man is still fighting for the same civil rights agenda he did when he started his political career. Throughout the rest of his political career, he has supported the rights of the LGBT community.
www.alternet.org/…
Bernie is not the gatekeeper of progressive politics, his record speaks for itself. Rep. Lewis isn’t the gatekeeper for being a civil rights activist. When you look at Bernie’s record, it speaks for itself. And throughout the 1990s, Bernie was often right beside Rep. Lewis and the CBC as they fought for progressive policy. Bernie’s record shows that he’ll consistently stand up for African-Americans. I think it’s a bit of a shame that Rep. Lewis couldn’t bring himself to remember all the support he’s received from Bernie, but I think I know enough about Bernie to be confident that if Rep. Lewis wanted Bernie to stand with him tomorrow on the next civil rights battle, Bernie would be there.