The Piece I Never Published Addressing A Potential Biden Presidency

By Michael A. Canty

In hindsight, the possibility of anyone replacing #45 was quite exciting. My concerns for the ability to tackle difficult issues like equal rights and consequences for police misconduct increased due to the silence of the Republican Party and the encouragement of police to “carry on” from their leader in the White House. I felt the necessity to publish an open letter to the frontrunner of the Democratic contender for President, former VP Joe Biden. I was quite conflicted and found it necessary to directly express my concerns on his candidacy’s impact on the lives of Black and Brown Americans. The rhetoric, tension and number of seemingly impossible situations increased, I had no confidence in how things would turn out and I decided not to publish my open letter.

Time has passed and I have a clearer idea of who the President-elect is and although I have more information, my first letter and the context of what I see and know now must be expressed as I sense it is the sentiment of many voters that wanted #45 out of office.

The experience of being African American while #45 (I do not speak the name) has been President has made me join the “Anyone but #45 for President ‘’ club, Joe Biden was not my preferred choice for Democratic nominee. I wanted Senator Kamala Harris, Former Governor Deval Patrick, Senator Elizabeth Warren (in that order) to lead the charge as the new White House resident. Things did not go my way but as an official AB45 member, a head of cabbage would do. That said when Former VP Biden began his primary rout of all other candidates in South Carolina, I was nervous. I couldn’t help seeing him as a very nice well meaning man who did not understand the needs of the most marginalized. As someone who’s heart is entirely too heavy for those who cannot represent, protect or take care of themselves, I felt we needed an insider who’s “been there”. Like all of my choices, someone who could empathize with the least of us because in some way shape, form or fashion, they have been there. I have heard Uncle Joe’s story on more occasions than I care to mention. “The guy from a little town called lost his first wife, then losing a son that should’ve lived long enough to run for President has been permanently etched in my mind. I know that man is a sensitive, thoughtful and caring man. I know he has felt the pain of grief and loss in a way that has altered his life.

That said, I never got around to openly expressing my concerns about his presidency beyond my social media accounts. I wrote an article but never posted it. It is included at the end of this article.

Then he won!! Good triumphed over evil. The anxiety of 4 years of a President with zero restraint, 100% racist not to mention misogynistic was washed away by a familiar experience I had not defined.

Today I realized what it was. It was the anxiety of hearing another Democratic leader make promises to African Americans that were so general they could be misinterpreted and create unmet expectations. One expectation might be the racial disparities caused by systemic racism would be addressed. Another would be severe consequences for the police officers who were trusted to uphold the law yet engaged in misconduct up to and including murder, the Sergeants and Chiefs who ignored or misinterpreted “red flags” of officers involved in misconduct or were hired despite their previous record at other precincts. That this man who had more Black friends than the 20% of Black voters who supported #45 would see to it that the long held concerns of my people and millions of white Americans would finally be addressed.

Today that candidate, now the President-elect, selected one of his remaining four Cabinet members. Today Former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttegeig was announced as nominee of Secretary of Transportation.

Then the disappointment came back up. Once again there was the familiar disappointment of what it means to be left at the altar. Let’s be clear, as promoted, the Mayor is the first openly gay cabinet nominee. Although it is a good thing, 45% of white women and a total of 42% of white voters supported the former VP’s candidacy. 96% of Native Americans, over 90% of Black women, 80+ percent of black men and 68% of Latinx supported the man who will be the 46th President of the United States of America.

If gay people represent 10% of our population, I doubt a wealthy, Harvard educated white man represents LGBTQIA for a group who since Stonewall are still fighting for respect, social and legal treatment and equality.

As Uncle Joe began unveiling his cabinet picks, I thought to myself, I can respect the need to, “hit the ground running”. The soon to be ex-President has left a mess reversing 12 years of Obama led policy, firing anyone associated with old school politics and who will not bend to the will of a maniacal, narcissistic, thoughtless man who only ran for President to up his celebrity profile and his business image. I thought I was not particularly moved by his choices but I was not offended by them either. I kept his long ago announcement of appointing a Black woman to the U.S. Supreme Court and the possibility of his expansion of the Supreme Court from 9 to 11 or 13 in the back of my mind knowing that would be a “big effin deal”. Then I began to look at things differently after the Buttegeig appointment, rethinking #46’s first appointments. I looked back at how when diversity is applied to Cabinet positions, it is always Transportation, HUD and Education. While they were appointed their agendas were always neutered by insufficient funding. The President-elect has appointed Obama appointee Tom Vilsack to run the U.S. Department of Agriculture. I thought about the impact a young man of questionable integrity had on Secretary Vilsack’s decision making and the ultimate {forced} resignation of Southwest Georgia and longtime government trailblazer Shirley Sherrod. Yet despite that incident and the fact that when the Black Farmers discrimination suit was settled under Obama appointee Tom Vilsack they did not receive more than a $55,000 settlement for the loss of their land. Then there was also the longtime cover up of how slow moving government and misleading statements by Vilsack on how well opportunities were for Black farmers contributed to the damage systemic and overt racism did, Side note, Mrs. Sherod was integral over the last decade or so in increasing voter participation in Southwest Georgia, the very area that if Democrats win 2 Georgia seats in a January runoff election will decide who runs the agenda in the Senate. I can only say chances go around and Karma is the slang term for a female dog.

So rethinking my new President’s choices, if he could give a white (gay) guy who he identified in the past as inexperienced a chance at running government with extremely high expectations, where are the opportunities for African American and Native Americans?

Joe has a tendency to get extremely offended when his commitment to Black equality is challenged. I am coming to understand he does not see what many of his supporters and those who voted for him see; some efforts may be enough for him yet insufficient to the people that have been encouraged to, “wait”, “give it time” or other sentiments that ultimately put the needs of Black voters to the side. There are 3 remaining cabinet positions and I expect the appointments to give Black and Native American voters a reason to trust the Democratic party, the 46th President of the United States and their commitment to equal rights and equal justice under the law.

An Open Letter To Democratic Nominee Joe Biden

While we all waited for you to reveal your choice for running mate, there is a long overdue conversation that needs to take place in order to, “heal the soul of our nation”.

I cannot express my joy concerning your choice to select a running mate who had the “audacity” to run for President of the United States, even challenging your own candidacy. Once again we are celebrating a moment many feel was way overdue. Once again we inhale the possibility of fairness, equality and a dent in the 400 year old disease we call racism.

Although this is great news you get no credit for your decision Mr. Biden. We all witnessed the condition of your campaign coming into South Carolina. Black people mostly over the age of 30 resuscitated your campaign and as Black women do naturally, change the trajectory of your candidacy. Your selection is the first payment in the debt that you owe the Black community. Your first opportunity to make things right for your past transgressions. There is still more work to do. While you have spent years enjoying the support of Black voters and the reputation of being a friend to “The Blacks” as your opponent would day, you must make right the racial, criminal justice and economic disparities you contributed to through bills like 1994 Crime Bill and the revision of the Bankruptcy Bill that made it more difficult for working class and poor people of color to get relief from predatory lending, zip code discrimination and other proudly negotiated legislative actions that widened the wealth gap between whites and all people of color. At the same time we were all witnessing a man who was filing numerous bankruptcies (6 total) and legally challenging legitimate financial responsibilities to avoid repaying his own debt. We saw him continue to rebound using the media, national and international banking systems as a child uses a piggy bank. This man became our 45th President and cemented a sense of hopelessness among a group of people whose ancestors built every important history structure and industry of this country.

In addition, you have a responsibility to a forgotten group of Americans who have never been given the attention, support and resources afforded to every other American.

By the age of 18 they have had at least one negative experience with police. When viewing unemployment during the past two administrations, they have statistically been at the highest levels. Data says they have also become least likely to complete high school, have been treated unfairly as early as elementary school and least likely to attend or complete college which has been an economic success indicator impacting wealth, health and morality. They are also the group most likely to experience prison, arrests and to lose hope of the promises of America’s Constitution and Bill of Rights. You own them Mr. Biden. Your negotiations created laws that impacted their parents and grandparent’s lives through criminal justice, automation and “necessary” budget cuts to social, mental health and education programs. When you negotiated away social programs that provided job retraining for companies expanding globally while reducing US staff, it was the families of these children who were affected. The loss of funding of apprenticeship programs, after school skill building and other forms of community development were lost in the efforts to balance the budget.

Since the arrival of the current administration, pet projects targeted to corporations, the tax cut and the funding quickly given to corporations during the pandemic, we know money is no object for the land of the free and home of the brave.

I am well aware that the condition of Black America does not rest solely on your shoulders. Negotiating away the support for Black lives was a bipartisan effort. There were 49 other Senators, a full House of Representatives and State Governors who are also culpable but this is your opportunity to make things right.

Since your decision to run for the country’s highest office, you prided yourself in being able to negotiate with white segregationists while downplaying the feelings we experienced seeing you minimize Anita Hill coming forward during the Clarence Thomas Supreme Court hearings and in 2020. Neither event endeared you to me or millions of Black people critical of blatant systemic racism. Anita was our mother, auntie and sister and your lack of making concrete amends must be addressed in more than a symbolic judicial appointment. Unless that appointment is Dr. Hill herself, a section of the Black electorate will remain unengaged. There are women sitting back right now waiting for you to make good while they casted primary votes for you. Your appointment of Senator Kamala Harris is important, exciting and energizing but not equivalent to the pain of viewing you dismiss your responsibility in the public humiliation of an elegant, dignified, professional Black woman.

Most Democrats like you but adding to the base is what will make for a truly great nation. You and your staff have and continue to attend to the concerns of white moderate Democrats, moderate Republicans and Conservatives that yearn for normal government. What about the black voters that stopped voting after 2008? The young black men and women who will be 18 years old by November 3? What will you do for future Black and Brown voters? What will you bring forth that makes an 18 year old disillusioned black man excited about America’s promises? What political risks will you take to see that police encounters with young black people do not result in death? Although it is clear you do not agree with defunding the police, what is your plan to change what we see as a deadly anti-Black system? What legacy will you leave that improves on a better America for everyone?

Let me warn you that language has changed since 2008. Black people have changed. We are no longer satisfied with slow gains for we know in the past achievement of those gains, deep deconstruction of promises of equality, decimation of wealth and Black life occurred and no one was held responsible. When banks were bailed out the mortgage holders of those loans were still foreclosed on. The programs offered did not reach many of the neighborhoods who needed them. Families lost their homes with no transition support. In addition the community resources available dwindled away devastating many families. There is a community of people who experienced economic PTSD from the decimation of Black wealth. What will you do for them? Some of today’s young Black voters find their middle aged and middle class relatives tone deaf and out of touch with what is happening for them in the country today. South Carolina is not Black America, but a sample of the diversity that exists among Black Americans. Many are no longer willing to wait their turn anymore as they are clear that, “Our turn is now”. You have often said this is a,”fight for the soul of America’’. In truth, this fight requires addressing Black issues long ignored. It involves taking Black lives off the negotiation table and prioritizing them equal to America’s job-creating corporations. Your courage is required, not your friendship. Your leadership is required, not your compassion. The time has passed for emotion. Our children deserve better too.

Michael A. Canty is a political and social commentator, author and leadership development expert. His first book, “Today On This Day: Meditations To Live And Love By” will be published in the coming months.