Black lawmakers will aid voting efforts in Ferguson
House Assistant Minority Leader James Clyburn, D-S.C.(Photo: J. Scott Applewhite, AP)WASHINGTON — Members of the Congressional Black Caucus will travel to Ferguson, Mo., this weekend to help with get-out-the-vote efforts ahead of April elections there.Caucus members say it's important that black voters influence the city council races. Three of six seats are up on April 7."We're not coming in their community telling them who their candidate needs to be,'' said Democratic Rep. Cedric Richmond of Louisiana, who helped coordinate the effort. "We're coming in the community saying, 'We're going to help you get your people motivated to come vote.' ''About 12 members of the mostly Democratic caucus will make the trip. Caucus members will meet with community leaders and candidates on Saturday. On Sunday, they will attend a church service commemorating the work of civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr.Since last year's shooting of unarmed black teenager Michael Brown by white police offer Darren Wilson, Ferguson's mostly black, suburban St. Louis community has been the scene of often-violent protests. The shooting and a grand jury's decision not to indict Wilson sparked a national conversation about race relations.Caucus members said their effort is not intended to overshadow local rallies, but to complement them."We should march, but we should also knock on doors and we should go vote,'' Richmond said.Blacks make up 67% of Ferguson's population. Five of six council members are white, as is the mayor."They've got the numbers, so it's about turnout,'' said Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina, a House Democratic leader.Clyburn said some members of the Congressional Black Caucus also will provide financial support for get-out-the-vote efforts."We've got checkbooks,'' said Clyburn. "This is about trying to get a community turned on to the process and trying to get people to understand that there's a direct correlation between your vote, and lack thereof, and what happens in the community.''Rep. Bennie Thompson, a Democrat from Mississippi, said the effort is simply to promote "participatory democracy.''"It's not saying to the people of Ferguson, the black caucus is coming in here to lead you all out of bondage,'' said Thompson. "We're saying, look, you all need to field your own candidates, get people registered to vote and get them fired up.''Richmond said he expects an impressive turnout among Ferguson residents."I think they know what the stakes are, and it's our job to educate them on those stakes," he said.Europe anti-terrorism raids lead to dozens of arrestsJan 16, 2015
ไม่มีความคิดเห็น:
แสดงความคิดเห็น