Riots have swept across Los Angeles after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents executed coordinated deportation warrants across the region. While media outlets and activists are framing the events as a humanitarian crisis, the truth is simpler—and more uncomfortable for some to accept: these were lawful deportations, carried out on individuals who had already exhausted their legal options. The chaos that followed raises serious questions about whether American cities will respect the rule of law or allow emotional narratives to override it.
The unrest began on June 6, when ICE conducted targeted operations at construction sites, transit hubs, and migrant-heavy neighborhoods. According to DHS officials, every arrest involved individuals with a final order of removal issued by a federal immigration judge. These were not random sweeps or racial profiling—they were the execution of legal judgments, often delayed for years due to court backlogs and lack of enforcement. And yet, instead of viewing these actions as law enforcement fulfilling its duty, activists and some city leaders condemned the effort, claiming it lacked compassion.
But compassion cannot substitute for law. Currently, more than 1.4 million people nationwide are living under active deportation orders—many of which remain unexecuted because the individuals never showed up for court, and federal authorities don’t know their whereabouts. Los Angeles County alone has 110,670 pending deportation cases, the highest of any county in the U.S. States like California, Texas, New York, and Florida each have over 100,000 pending cases. These are not small numbers. This isn’t a bureaucratic backlog—it’s a failure of national enforcement. But instead of addressing it as the emergency it is, we now treat it like a political football, kicked back and forth while cities burn and leaders hide behind rhetoric.
Initially peaceful, the protests quickly devolved into lawlessness. Demonstrators blocked traffic, surrounded federal buildings, and by the second night, had set vehicles ablaze, looted stores, and attacked police lines. Footage of flaming Waymo driverless cars and smashed storefronts across downtown L.A. made international headlines. In response, law enforcement used non-lethal measures to disperse the crowds. More than 250 people have since been arrested on charges ranging from assault to arson.
President Trump responded by deploying 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines to stabilize the region. “No city in America is above the law,” he said. “If local leaders won’t restore order, the federal government will.” Governor Gavin Newsom immediately challenged the action, filing a lawsuit claiming the president violated the Posse Comitatus Act and overstepped his constitutional authority.
The lawsuit triggered intense legal debate. Some argue federal troops should only be used with a state’s permission. Others point out that when federal buildings, personnel, and the execution of federal law are under direct threat, the president has clear authority to act.
What’s missing from most of the coverage is honesty. These protests are not about justice. They are about resistance to the law. I don’t care how the media and politicians might flip it. Every person targeted in these raids had a legal order for removal. Their rights had been adjudicated. Their cases were closed. To frame their arrest as an injustice is to rewrite the meaning of law itself.
The real danger isn’t federal enforcement—it’s the cultural shift where executing lawful orders is framed as cruelty, and ignoring them is celebrated as activism. While our politicians are fighting for this, what about the real injustices in the black community? The historical injustices? No mention of any of them.
This is not a civil rights struggle. It’s a political stunt built on selective outrage. The system isn’t broken because it enforces the law—it’s broken because too many are afraid to.
The Rise Up Mount Vernon PAC is no longer just a political curiosity—it’s a case study in how outside money manipulates Black communities under the guise of progress. Our previous investigation revealed that Rise Up Mount Vernon is a registered Political Action Committee financed partly by a $25,000 personal contribution from developer Rella Fogliano, after she had already donated $30,000 to the Mount Vernon Democratic City Committee in 2023 and 2024. These aren’t random campaign donations—they are calculated political investments meant to dominate both sides of the ballot and steer city elections from behind the scenes.
Even more troubling is the overwhelming silence from Mount Vernon’s Democratic leadership. To date, only one Democratic-nominated candidate—City Comptroller Darren Morton—has had the courage to publicly denounce the Rise Up Mount Vernon PAC. Just one. Black Westchester reached out to the Mount Vernon Democratic City Committee Chair to inquire whether the other two candidates on the party’s official slate, Cathlin Gleason and Danielle Brown, would also issue statements distancing themselves from the PAC. As of this writing, neither has issued a formal public denouncement. More importantly, both have yet to send out a statement addressing the unauthorized use of their names and likenesses in Rise Up Mount Vernon campaign materials—a move that could mislead voters into thinking they are aligned with a PAC they have not endorsed. The silence is deafening—and in a race already clouded by outside influence and developer money, that silence feels less like caution and more like complicity.
In a city that is overwhelmingly Black, working class, and still reeling from years of governmental mismanagement, political instability, and the erosion of public trust, this refusal to speak out in the face of developer-funded interference isn’t just disappointing—it’s dangerous. It begs a deeper question: Are our leaders truly accountable to the people who elect them, or to the developers quietly bankrolling their opposition? Because if candidates backed by the Democratic Party can’t denounce a PAC funded by the same developer who donated to their own committee, what exactly are they standing for? The people of Mount Vernon deserve clarity, not candidates who remain silent while outside money reshapes the ballot and undermines the party structure they claim to represent.
To understand the scope of this political manipulation, one must look at Kenneth Plummer, a longtime operative at the center of this influence network. According to Democratic City Committee Chair, Mary Graves, Plummer brokered the 2023 donation from Rella Fogliano to the Mount Vernon Democratic City Committee on behalf of Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard. That same donor is now financing a new political line—Rise Mount Vernon—that is running directly against the party’s candidates. Plummer, who still holds the title of District Leader, reportedly no longer lives in Mount Vernon but in White Plains. If true, this violates New York State Public Officers Law § 3 and Election Law § 2-110, requiring public officers and district leaders to reside in their jurisdictions. Legal consequences could include removal from office.
Plummer’s ethical issues don’t stop there. In 2012, the New York State Joint Commission on Public Ethics (JCOPE) found that Plummer, president of DiRA Consulting, violated the Lobbying Act by failing to register as a lobbyist while seeking approval for real estate projects in Mount Vernon. He admitted to the violations and paid a $2,000 fine. A decade later, he is allegedly once again acting as an unregistered lobbyist, reportedly trying to secure state funds for developers. Black Westchester has also received multiple calls alleging that Plummer is now operating in Peekskill and using the same playbook. We are actively investigating those claims.
What should raise further concern is the content of the official Rise Up Mount Vernon PAC registration. Filed with the New York State Board of Elections, the treasurer is listed as Mark Hanna of Brooklyn, and the PAC’s banking institution is a TD Bank branch in Brooklyn. The individual listed as having operational control over the PAC is Tiara Kathleen McIntosh, who resides in Mount Vernon. However, no public explanation regarding her background, role, or interest in shaping Mount Vernon’s elections has been provided. Who are these individuals, and what is their connection to the community? What interest do they have in Mount Vernon or other Black communities throughout Westchester County?
On May 16, 2025, the same day Rise Up Mount Vernon was officially registered as a Political Action Committee with the New York State Board of Elections, Rella Fogliano’s $25,000 personal donation to the PAC was also recorded. This timing is no coincidence—it’s proof of a coordinated and deliberate effort to influence the outcome of Mount Vernon’s local elections. The synchronized filing and funding make it clear that this PAC was never a grassroots initiative—it was a premeditated political operation designed to give developers like Rella unfettered access to City Hall, city-owned properties, and zoning decisions. This was not community-driven politics; it was a calculated move to reshape the power structure of Mount Vernon in favor of outside financial interests.
This is not grassroots activism—it is a Brooklyn-based political apparatus planting itself in Black cities, trying to influence elections with outside money and inside operatives. It’s a dangerous trend, especially when combined with massive developer donations and a community that has endured decades of political neglect. If this PAC model is allowed to continue unchecked, Mount Vernon may only be the beginning. Peekskill could be next.
The same developer who helped bankroll this PAC is responsible for one of the most unattractive and oversized buildings in Mount Vernon—a structure widely regarded by residents as both an architectural disgrace and a threat to public safety. But this building’s problems go far beyond its appearance. It has become a hub for relocating sex offenders, individuals with severe mental illness, and people battling addiction, many of whom are not from Mount Vernon but have been transported from across New York City. The property now functions as a containment site for vulnerable and unstable populations, creating a surge in police calls for suicides, drug overdoses, and behavioral disturbances.
This crisis isn’t new. When former Mayor Andre Wallace was in office, he threatened legal action against then-New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio to stop the quiet relocation of troubled populations into Mount Vernon. The pressure worked—for a while. But once Wallace left office, the practice resumed almost immediately. Under the cover of political transition, the city again became a dumping ground for the homeless, mentally ill, and even children with predatory offenses, placing enormous stress on the local police, EMS, and school systems, with Rella’s building at the center of the madness.
Imagine a city overrun with more box-like, soulless buildings—completely detached from Mount Vernon’s historic character, community integrity, and public safety framework. These developments are not about community revitalization but zoning manipulation, tax incentives, and guaranteed profit margins for developers. Meanwhile, the residents are left to shoulder the cost in the form of higher crime, overwhelmed emergency services, and collapsing property values.
The bigger problem is that these political games are played with little transparency. The Rise Up Mount Vernon PAC is designed to look like a local movement, but is nothing of the sort. It is developer-driven, Brooklyn-registered, and supported by people with little to no history of actual community investment in Mount Vernon. When a PAC can emerge out of nowhere, funded by big money and supported by silence from city leaders, the people should be deeply alarmed.
This is not a campaign—it is political gentrification. The illusion of voter choice collapses when outside developers fund the city committee and a new opposition slate. Whether you vote for the old or new names, if they’re both bankrolled by the same interests, the result is the same: policies shaped in backrooms, not living rooms.
Black Westchester has long maintained that political silence is complicity. Suppose you’re running for office in Mount Vernon or elsewhere in Westchester and can’t publicly reject developer-controlled PACs. In that case, you’re not running for the people but for your funders. Mount Vernon’s future is not just about buildings, ballots, or budget lines. It’s about whether this city’s residents—especially its Black working-class families—will have the power to choose their leaders, shape their neighborhoods, and hold public servants accountable.
If outside money is allowed to define the field and silence the players, the people will remain locked out of the game. And if the Rise Up Mount Vernon slate wins in silence, the community loses in shame.
100+ constituents of Rep. Mike Lawler (NY-17) protested the roughly $700 billion in cuts to Medicaid
OSSINING, NY—Over a hundred local labor and community leaders rallied at Louis Engel Waterfront Park on Saturday in protest of the roughly $700 billion in cuts to Medicaid under the GOP’s budget plan.
Last month, House Republicans—including Rep. Mike Lawler—voted for a budget that would push millions of people off their health care, while handing massive tax breaks to corporations and the ultra-wealthy.
The rally was kicked off by Emily Feiner, who was forcibly removed from Rep. Lawler’s town hall in Somers recently. “When authoritarianism and the oligarchs come for your democracy: do not comply,” said Feiner, a social worker based in Nyack.
She was followed by Ossining Mayor Rika Levin, Ossining Supervisor Liz Feldman, State Assemblymember Dana Levenberg, Westchester County Legislator Emiljana Ulaj, as well as representatives from the Westchester-Putnam Central Labor Body, New York State United Teachers, 1199 Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Communication Workers of America (CWA), Make the Road Action, CCoHOPE, and the Westchester-Putnam Chapter of the Working Families Party.
“The ugly legislation that the House passed last month is not just a massive transfer of wealth from the poor to the ultra-rich; it is also a massive attack on public health. This bill would cut coverage for millions and undermine our healthcare system while simultaneously gutting environmental protection, virtually ensuring higher rates of asthma, cancer, and other pollution-related illnesses. It would also cause New York State to lose billions of dollars in federal funding while at the same time being burdened with huge new administrative costs,” said Assemblymember Dana Levenberg (AD-95). “This legislation is unconscionable and cannot be allowed to pass. I urge the Senate to reject it.”
“Cuts to public services don’t just affect numbers on a budget sheet—they affect real people, real families, and real futures right here in Ossining. Whether it’s our schools, healthcare, libraries, veterans, senior and youth programs, it’s detrimental to all of us,” said Ossining Mayor Rika Levin. “Use your voice and vote for those that build communities, not defund them.”
“The so-called ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ cuts billions from healthcare—there’s nothing beautiful about it. Mike Lawler voted twice to gut the lifeline that holds our hospitals together. That’s a damn shame,” said Alex Pierre, 1199SEIU Member Political Organizer and Patient Care Partner at Good Samaritan Hospital in Suffern. “Medicaid cuts are a direct attack on the people who rely on Medicaid, not just for doctor’s visits, but for daily survival. We cannot allow Lawler and his ilk in Washington to balance the budget on our backs.”
“Medicaid cuts to New York will cost the state tens of thousands of good middle-class healthcare jobs. Hospitals will lay off nurses along with other patient-facing technologists just to make up for the billions of dollars lost in Medicaid reimbursements. Yet that won’t be enough, they will also increase costs for private insurance, which employers will pass on to workers as increased premium co-shares and co-pays,” said Joe Mayhew, CWA Local 1103 Secretary/Treasurer. “Rep. Mike Lawler needs to understand the billions of dollars in cuts in Medicaid he has voted for three times now will affect all New Yorkers not just those on Medicaid.”
“If this country can afford tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy, if we can spend billions on bombs and border walls, then we can afford textbooks without torn pages, roofs that don’t leak, and enough computers for every child. We can afford funding for special education, which provides support to students who are struggling with math and reading, and we can afford to fund ongoing training for our teachers,” said Samantha Rosado-Ciriello, President of the Yonkers Federation of Teachers and NYSUT Board Member.
“Our communities deserve so much better than Medicaid and SNAP cuts. When families have access to quality health care and good hospitals, we’re all better off,” said Jennifer Cabrera, Chair of the Westchester-Putnam Chapter of the Working Families Party. “But Rep. Mike Lawler wants to take that all away—all so he can hand more tax breaks to people like Elon Musk. These aren’t the values of NY-17.”
Community and labor groups plan to continue to draw attention to the threatened cuts to Medicaid, Medicare, and SNAP under the GOP’s reconciliation package.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) permanently closed the White Plains Office of Hearings Operations located at 75 South Broadway in White Plains, on May 31st. The closure is due to the landlord not renewing the lease, and the Trump administration has no plans to open a new hearing office. This office served as the only hearing office in the Hudson Valley region (which comprises Westchester, Putnam, Dutchess, Orange, Ulster, and Sullivan Counties), impacting residents who may now have to travel further for hearings. Residents who rely on this hearing office will now have to travel further to access in-person services, potentially to offices in the Bronx, lower Manhattan, Albany, New Jersey, or New Haven, Connecticut.
Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins previously called out Acting Social Security Commissioner Leland Dudek in early May, for his total disregard of the people of Westchester County, after Dudek rejected a second offer from the County and US Congressman George Latimer to use County space for the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) White Plains Hearing Office.
“We start this week with fewer services for the people of Westchester County due to the Social Security Administration (SSA) and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)’s decision to close the Social Security Office in White Plains. We offered them space in a County office building at a reduced rate. I have been vocal—I’ve spoken with both Congressman George Latimer and Congressman Mike Lawler—explaining how detrimental this closure will be for our area. We will continue fighting for the people of Westchester County, but the federal government has made it clear: they do not care about cutting services or the harm this decision will cause,” County Executive Ken Jenkins shared in a statement to Black Westchester on Monday, June 2nd. “If the SSA were truly interested in saving money, they would have accepted the County’s offer for a much more affordable space. Let’s be clear—closing this SSA office isn’t about saving money, finding fraud, or rooting out waste. This is about denying people their benefits—not explicitly, but by omission. For those who are disabled or elderly, we all know they won’t be able to travel an hour or more to sort out and fight for the benefits they’ve earned. Travel is a luxury not everyone can afford—and the federal government knows that. Their message is bold and cruel: starve.”
Some members of Congress, including Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, Rep. Mike Lawler (CD-17), and Congressman George Latimer (CD-16), have expressed concerns about the closure and have asked the SSA to reconsider its decision or find an alternative location.
Judges and staff from the White Plains office have been reassigned to other local hearing offices, according to the Social Security Administration (.gov). The White Plains, N.Y., Office of Hearing Operations clears more than 2,000 disability benefits cases each year and currently has a backlog of 2,000 pending cases.
Black Westchester presents People Before Politics Radio special Virtual Judicial Candidate Forum. Listen directly from the individuals seeking to serve on the bench in Mount Vernon City Court, Westchester County. This is your opportunity to learn where the candidates stand on judicial philosophy, courtroom management, ethics, experience, and fairness—without political spin or partisan bias. The two candidates running in the June 24th Democratic Primary are Judge Peter Davis (incumbent) and City Council President Danielle Browne.
Candidates will answer questions about:
– Judicial temperament and community insight
– Trial and courtroom experience
– Legal interpretation and precedent
– Leadership and ethical accountability
– Public trust and transparency in the justice system
🕒 Debate Format: Each candidate will have 2 minutes to answer each question, followed by 1-minute rebuttals, and 2-minute opening and closing statements. Audience comments are disabled to maintain neutrality and integrity.
📌 Why it matters: Judicial races often receive less attention than high-profile elections—but these judges make decisions that directly impact lives, families, and communities. Don’t miss this chance to make an informed vote.
🗳️ Election Day is June 24, 2025. Early Voting will be held from Saturday, June 14, 2025, through Sunday, June 22, 2025.
✅ Make sure you’re registered and ready to vote.
People Before Politics Radio, Giving You Real Talk For The Community Since 2014!
Black Westchester presents the People Before Politics Radio Show every Sunday night, 6-8 PM, simulcasting live on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube, and archived on BlackWestchester.com. Giving you that Real Talk For The Community since 2014.
To support the Black Westchester and the People Before Politics Radio Show, which provides the News With The Black Point Of view and gives you the real talk for the community for free, make a donation via PayPal. In the words of Ray Charles, “One of these days, and it [might not be] long, You’re gonna look for [us], and [we’ll] be gone.” Support independent, Black-owned, Free Media!
Subscribe, hit the notification bell, and join the conversation this Sunday. At Black Westchester, we always put People Before Politics!
Welcome to the Sunday, June 1, 2025, episode of Black Westchester presents People Before Politics Radio
People Before Politics Radio, Giving You Real Talk For The Community Since 2014!
Black Westchester presents the People Before Politics Radio Show every Sunday night, 6-8 PM, simulcasting live on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube, and archived on BlackWestchester.com. Giving you that Real Talk For The Community since 2014.
To support the Black Westchester and the People Before Politics Radio Show, which provides the News With The Black Point Of view and gives you the real talk for the community for free, make a donation via PayPal. In the words of Ray Charles, “One of these days, and it [might not be] long, You’re gonna look for [us], and [we’ll] be gone.” Support independent, Black-owned, Free Media!
Subscribe, hit the notification bell, and join the conversation this Sunday. At Black Westchester, we always put People Before Politics!
It is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore the truth: America may have lived through one of the most significant presidential cover-ups in modern history. The revelations in Original Sin, the explosive book by Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson, pull the curtain back on a White House that knew—at the highest levels—that President Joe Biden was not cognitively fit to lead, yet moved mountains to hide it from the American people.
This is not about partisanship. It is not about whether one supports Democrats or Republicans. It is about transparency, trust, and the dangerous precedent that has now been set for executive power. If the claims in Tapper’s book are true, then we are not just dealing with a president in decline—we are dealing with an administration, a political party, and a complicit media ecosystem that enabled and protected that decline at the expense of the nation.
According to the book, top aides, family members, and donors witnessed clear signs of President Biden’s deterioration: memory lapses, disorientation, and physical frailty so severe that the use of a wheelchair was discussed as a backup plan. These weren’t isolated incidents. They were ongoing and well known inside the West Wing. Yet instead of sounding the alarm, those around the president closed ranks. They covered for him. And in doing so, they misled the American people during a time when global conflict, economic instability, and political division demanded clarity, not concealment.
It’s not just the alleged deception that’s troubling—it’s the justification for it. Biden was framed as “the only one who could beat Trump,” and that logic became the moral permission slip for everything that followed. The truth was buried beneath polling data and media spin, and anyone who questioned the president’s mental acuity was labeled disrespectful, partisan, or worse.
Now we learn that even after disastrous public performances—like the 2024 debate where Biden visibly struggled to complete thoughts—party insiders still rallied behind him. It took public outcry and collapsing approval numbers for Biden to withdraw from the race, but by then the damage was done. The Democratic Party entered the 2024 election with a nominee they knew wasn’t capable of finishing the job, and they did so by design.
The media doesn’t escape blame either. Tapper’s own admission—that reporters ignored the signs and avoided tough questions—should force a reckoning in journalism. If our press corps is unwilling to press for answers when power is in question, then they are no longer the watchdogs of democracy—they are its decorators, keeping appearances polished while truth rots underneath.
There are echoes of Watergate here, but in some ways, this is worse. Watergate was about the abuse of power to protect a president from political fallout. This is about knowingly presenting an unfit leader to the world, risking national security and public trust, just to preserve a political agenda.
If we allow this to go unanswered, we are signaling to every future president, party official, and media executive that truth is optional, and that power is the ultimate priority. That cannot be the lesson history takes from this moment.
Congress must continue its investigation. Medical records, communications, and testimony should be brought before the public. Not out of spite, but out of necessity. The people have a right to know who was really running the country—and why they were told otherwise.
We must also ask deeper questions about how we choose our leaders, how we hold them accountable, and whether our institutions are truly designed to serve the people or merely protect those in power.
In the end, this is not just a story about Joe Biden. It’s a story about us.
Will we demand the truth, or will we settle for the illusion?
In a significant step toward workforce development and environmental sustainability, thirteen residents from Mount Vernon and New Rochelle have successfully completed a six-week training program on air-source heat pumps, offered by Comrie Enterprises in partnership with Tauris Tech. The initiative is part of the NYSERDA-funded “Adopt Clean Energy” campaign, subcontracted through the Urban League of Westchester.
The program, held at the Dole Center in Mount Vernon, was designed to equip participants with critical skills for entry into the growing clean energy sector. Each graduate earned the highly valued 608 EPA Certification, positioning them for employment in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) roles within the green energy economy.
“Training local residents to work in clean energy is more than workforce development—it’s a pathway to economic empowerment and environmental justice,” said a spokesperson for Comrie Enterprises, a Mount Vernon-based energy consulting firm.
The training, developed in collaboration with Queens-based Tauris Tech, combined online resources, educational videos, and in-person instruction to accommodate diverse learning styles. Despite limited funding, which allowed only thirteen of the sixty-one applicants to participate, the program delivered a comprehensive experience culminating in a graduation ceremony on May 17, 2025. Graduates will now be invited to a dedicated job fair hosted by Tauris Tech to connect them directly with potential employers in the industry.
Beyond its training efforts, Comrie Enterprises is also co-developing 20 South 2nd Square, formerly known as Library Square, on the site of the old Mount Vernon Y. The project is part of a larger vision to blend community revitalization with clean energy solutions. As part of the development, Comrie has ensured a commitment to offering future clean energy training programs within the new facility.
This effort aligns with Governor Kathy Hochul’s recent $1 billion statewide investment in clean energy job creation, announced in January 2025. The initiative aims to lower energy costs, reduce pollution, and create thousands of green jobs across New York State.
Comrie Enterprises and Tauris Tech praised the graduates for their dedication and resilience. “These students represent the future of our energy workforce,” said a representative from Tauris Tech. “They are now equipped with the tools to make an impact—not just in their own lives, but in the sustainability of our communities.”
As New York accelerates its clean energy transition, programs like this serve as a blueprint for how local partnerships can drive opportunity, innovation, and long-term community benefit.
In 1989, Congressman John Conyers had the foresight and courage to formally introduce H.R. 40, igniting a national conversation about reparations for the descendants of American slaves. He understood that until America acknowledged the damage it had done — through its laws, its institutions, and its systems — true justice would remain out of reach. For decades, Conyers reintroduced the bill, session after session, laying the groundwork for a national reckoning. But since then, Black politics and Black leadership have dropped the ball. What should have been built into a movement for repair and redress has been reduced to a political sideshow — weakened by cowardice, coopted by careerism, and abandoned by many of the very leaders who were supposed to carry the torch forward.
Let’s be clear from the start: a bill to study reparations is not a win. It’s not justice, it’s not repair, and it’s certainly not the payout or restitution that Black Americans are owed. But in the slow-moving machinery of American politics, a study bill is often the first formal step to policy. It’s a launchpad, not a landing.
So when Black elected officials can’t even support that step? That’s not just negligence — it’s betrayal.
Take Maryland Governor Wes Moore. The first Black governor of his state, the pride of a so-called progressive movement. And yet, when given the opportunity to sign a bill to study reparations — not pay them, just study them — he vetoed it. Claimed it was duplicative. Said it wasn’t necessary. Even worse, the bill also called for a formal apology from the state of Maryland for its role in slavery — and he vetoed that too. The first Black governor of a state that once held slaves couldn’t even say the government owed Black people an apology. Translation? He didn’t want to carry the political weight.
And this isn’t new. When President Barack Obama had a Democratic House and Senate, he didn’t move H.R. 40 an inch. He had the power, the votes, and the historical moment. Instead, we got race-neutral speeches and respectability politics while LGBTQ rights advanced at record speed. Rainbow lights lit up the White House, but the lights stayed off on the issue of reparations.
Let’s call it what it is: selective courage.
Democrats are comfortable promoting diversity. But when it comes to justice — especially Black justice in the form of wealth transfer, land return, or debt repayment — they run for cover. Why? Because reparations make their white donor base nervous. Because America can handle diversity, but not accountability.
This same cowardice is mirrored in our Black institutions. Go look at the website of the African American Mayors Association. Not one mention of reparations. Not one plank in their mission. These are leaders of Black-majority cities across America, cities built on the backs of displaced, disenfranchised, overpoliced Black bodies. And they still won’t touch the issue.
What about the Congressional Black Caucus? The supposed vanguard of Black policy? There’s no dedicated policy workshop, no legislative war room, no serious investment in advancing reparations at the national level. Just empty gestures and safe language.
Meanwhile, grifters and influencers online have figured out how to monetize anti-reparations rhetoric. Black voices, parroting conservative talking points, mocking the idea of reparations to appease white audiences and collect checks. They sell out their own lineage for likes, followers, and a paycheck — while pretending to speak for “real Black people.”
Let’s stop pretending.
The failure to move reparations forward is not because America doesn’t understand what happened to Black people. The laws are there. The redlining maps exist. The wealth gap data is undeniable. The harm is proven.
What’s missing is political will — especially from the very Black leaders we put in place to fight for us.
And now, H.R. 40 has become nothing more than a political talking point. Democrats invoke it to claim they’re “trying,” knowing full well they don’t control the House or the Senate and that it will never even get to the floor. That’s not strategy — that’s gaslighting. It’s a total disrespect to the legacy of John Conyers, who originally introduced H.R. 40 in 1989 and reintroduced it every session until his retirement in 2017, not as a gimmick, but as a moral obligation. His vision has been hijacked and reduced to performative politics.
We saw this same dance play out with Vice President Kamala Harris. In an early interview, she stated clearly that she would not support reparations. It wasn’t until she faced backlash during her presidential campaign that she began to backpedal, offering vague support under political pressure. But the damage was done. What’s worse is that even after this obvious flip-flop, many Black supporters jumped to defend her, dismissing concerned Black voters who demanded clarity and courage on reparations. Instead of pressing her to stand firm, they protected her silence — as if symbolism was more important than substance.
All of this while Black Americans continue to support the Democratic Party by over 90%. We deliver elections. We show up. We stay loyal. And yet, we can’t get the party to show courage on reparations — not even for a study. That’s not just political cowardice; it’s a slap in the face.Black Americans continue to support the Democratic Party at over 90%. We play a crucial role in delivering elections by consistently showing up and demonstrating our loyalty. Yet, despite this unwavering support, we are unable to get the party to take a stand on reparations, not even for a mere study. This isn’t just a lack of political courage; it feels like a slap in the face.
And let’s be clear: this is not about making white people pay. It’s about making the government pay — here’s why. From the beginning, it was the government — not just individuals — that codified Black oppression into law. Let’s be specific:
Slavery was legal under the U.S. Constitution until 1865. It was not just permitted — it was protected.
The Fugitive Slave Act (1793 and 1850) criminalized freedom, requiring free states to return escaped enslaved people.
Black Codes were passed immediately after the Civil War to reestablish control over newly freed Black Americans.
Plessy v. Ferguson (1896), a Supreme Court ruling, legalized racial segregation under “separate but equal.”
Redlining, formally backed by the federal government through the Home Owners’ Loan Corporation (HOLC)and Federal Housing Administration (FHA), denied Black families access to homeownership and generational wealth.
Urban renewal policies in the 1950s–70s demolished thriving Black neighborhoods for highways and commercial development.
Mass incarceration laws, including the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986 and 1994 Crime Bill, disproportionately targeted Black communities.
Discriminatory GI Bill implementation after WWII denied Black veterans access to benefits widely given to white veterans.
This isn’t about guilt — it’s about legal, legislative, and judicial decisions that produced generational harm. The same government that enacted laws, enforced policies, and built systems designed to systematically oppress the descendants of American slaves. Reparations isn’t about guilt. It’s about accountability. It’s about justice.
So no, a study bill is not a victory. But it’s a gatekeeper in a rigged political process. If Black elected officials won’t even open that gate, they’re not leading us — they’re managing our silence.
We don’t need symbolism. We need spine. We don’t need panels. We need policy. And we don’t need more excuses from Black faces in high places who are too scared to say the one truth that matters:
In a historic and symbolic move, former President Donald Trump appointed Alice Marie Johnson, the first Black woman to serve as a federal clemency advisor, his official “Pardon Czar.” Johnson, a criminal justice reform advocate who was granted clemency by Trump in 2018 after serving over two decades for a nonviolent drug offense, now leads the charge in reviewing clemency requests and advising on one of the most powerful tools of the presidency: the pardon.
Her appointment stands as a milestone for criminal justice reform and representation at the highest levels of executive decision-making. It reflects Trump’s ongoing effort to frame clemency as both a matter of justice and political will, particularly in cases involving long, controversial sentences handed down to Black Americans.
This broader shift in approach set the stage for two of the most attention-grabbing clemency decisions in Trump’s second term: the full pardon of rap artist NBA YoungBoy and the commutation of federal sentences for Chicago gang figure Larry Hoover.
NBA YoungBoy: A Pardon and a Clean Slate
Kentrell DeSean Gaulden, better known as NBA YoungBoy, was serving a 23-month sentence for federal gun charges stemming from arrests in Louisiana and California. Though released to house arrest earlier this year, he still faced prescription fraud charges and remained under legal scrutiny.
Trump’s pardon wiped Gaulden’s record clean and restored his ability to tour and travel freely. The rapper issued a public statement following the announcement:
“I want to thank President Trump for granting me a pardon and allowing me to keep building — as a man, father, and artist.”
YoungBoy is set to launch a national tour in fall 2025, marking a significant turnaround in his career and public image.
Larry Hoover: A Partial Win in a Long Fight
While NBA YoungBoy walks free, Larry Hoover’s story is more complicated. Once the leader of the Gangster Disciples, Hoover has been in prison since the 1970s, serving both a 200-year state sentence for murder and six federal life sentences for continuing to operate a criminal enterprise from behind bars.
Trump’s commutation only affected federal convictions, meaning that Hoover will remain in Illinois state custody in the foreseeable future. Nonetheless, his legal team views the move as critical to achieving his release.
Hoover’s case has long drawn the attention of celebrities like Kanye West and Drake, who co-headlined a 2021 benefit concert titled “Free Larry Hoover.” The commutation offers renewed hope to his supporters while reigniting debate over whether clemency should extend to individuals with violent pasts who claim rehabilitation.
Reform or Strategy?
By combining Alice Johnson’s historic appointment with these high-profile clemency decisions, Trump has returned the conversation around redemption, justice, and political power to the national spotlight. Supporters see a genuine effort to reform a broken and biased justice system. Critics argue that it’s a calculated move aimed at strengthening Trump’s image among Black voters and in pop culture.
A Growing Divide in Black Politics
Perhaps most revealing is how these actions are reshaping Trump’s image within Black communities. While many establishment Black leaders and elected officials continue to paint Trump as a threat to civil rights and democracy, a growing number of everyday Black Americans, particularly younger generations, are rethinking that narrative.
For some, it’s not about personality but policy and outcomes. They see Trump doing things that decades of Democratic leadership failed to deliver: pushing economic opportunity zones, highlighting criminal justice reform, and now, issuing clemency to Black Americans caught in a system long viewed as unjust. The shift isn’t uniform, but it’s enough to spark conversations—and concern—among traditional Black political circles.
As one observer put it, “Trump may not be the Black community’s choice—but he’s increasingly becoming their challenge to the status quo.”
Bottom Line: With the appointment of Alice Marie Johnson, the pardons of NBA YoungBoy and Larry Hoover, and the growing split in how Trump is viewed across the Black political spectrum, it’s clear that the conversation is changing. Whether seen as justice or strategy, Donald Trump is forcing Black America to reexamine power, not just who holds it, but how they use it.
