by Dianne Anderson

Watching the sideshow of democracy may be a little less stressful if voters avoid the last minute rush to get their ballots filled out and in the mail, or run it down to any of the many easy drop-off polling places.

Even if the old school “I voted” stickers are not trending this election, some find solace in civic duty.

Daniel Tabor, former mayor of Inglewood and former undergrad at CSULB, is drawing out local young men to their Black Barbershop voting series on how the political issues of today affect their lives in real-time.

Compared to their parents or grandparents, he said younger and older Millennials are disconnected from working policies, issues and the polls.  Back then, the sacrifice was more than filling in bubbles. Voter intimidation was common to prevent the Black vote.

Black Lives Matter helped re-energize the movement, but he hopes it will translate to voter action.

One problem, he said, is a segment of young Black voters supporting Trump. They remember the free checks, but do not realize
Congress approved the Stimulus checks.

“Many 20 and 30-year-olds who received government checks with 45’s picture on it believe he gave the check,” he said. “No one ever explained to them that the check didn’t come from him. He was elected president and put his name on it,” said Tabor, who teaches at Los Angeles Southwest College.

Tabor also held a session on conservative Project 2025, over 900 pages with plans to cut civil service employees, of which Blacks represent higher than average long-term employment. The Center for American Progress tracks other plans to cut Child Tax Credit, attacks on subsidies and Head Start, and redirect funds from Section 8 and public housing, leading to increased homelessness and cuts to food stamps.

Another issue he said should concern everyone is how nonprofits are not publicly showing support for Vice President Kamala Harris for fear of jeopardizing nonpartisan status if Trump wins.

“How can you be afraid to stand up for what’s right?” he said. “The money is going to stop if he gets in anyway. Remember he plans to make it his government.”

On Saturday, October 26, Black men are invited to bring their sons and young men to barbershop chat at Magnificent Brothers that will cover the issues, facts, legends and rumors. The event is at 4267 Crenshaw Blvd.

“The plan is to have young people initiate the conversation, ask the questions, focus on topics we’re concerned about, Kamala’s election, and why some young Black men support Trump,” he said. “Let’s fact check, let us show where you can find the facts so you can be better informed.”

He said people are strangely becoming accustomed to Trump’s absurdities.

“At what point does common sense deteriorate to the point when he says Haitian immigrants are eating your neighbor’s cats and dogs? It’s so ignorant,” he said.

Earlier this week, Leadership Long Beach also hosted candidates for City Council District 4; Long Beach City College Trustees Area 4, along with arguments from the authors in favor and against City Charter Measures LB, JB and HC; plus, LBCC Bond Measure AC, and Proposition 36.

For those who missed it, the event held at the Aquarium of the Pacific was livestreamed and is available to view.

Matt Guardabascio, director of Leadership Long Beach, said they are on a mission to inform the community, and provide a full spectrum of information on the pros and cons of local ballot measures, and also LBCC Trustee Area 4 and Council District 4.

He said the events draw good turnout from candidates, and those who authored the for, and against, ballot measures.

“We decided to cover Prop. 36 since our city council decided there was enough difference of opinions among constituents. As a single council body, they felt they couldn’t make a recommendation,” he said. “We wanted to make sure that our voters were informed on that [proposition].”

Also earlier this week, the L.A. Black Worker Center, “Know What the Hell You’re Voting For,” webinar covered critical policies. Among the speakers, Stanley Thermidor, Policy & Advocacy Strategist of a New Way Of Life, Saa’un Bell, Senior Associate Director of Power California, Chanel Lumiere, Resident Advisor, Arming Minorities Against Addiction & Disease, Kevin Cosney, Co-Founder & Associate Director of California Black Power Network and Derek Steele, Executive Director of the Social Justice Learning Institute.

In the webinar, Janel Jenkins, co-executive director of organizing and programs with LABWC, urged that voting alone will not end the Black jobs crisis.

She said voting is one of many tools in the fight for liberation in a place and economy that marginalizes Black and other marginalized workers.

“What’s at stake for this year’s election we’re not only deciding the presidency and who has control over Congress, both the Senate and the House. We’re also looking at specific offices and issues on the ballot that directly impact Black workers in L.A.,” she said.

On Election Day, she stressed that voters will decide Prop. 36, and whether they feel that forced labor in jails and prisons of big corporations should be legal.

She said millions of dollars have been spent to sway the vote.

“They need that free labor from an overwhelmingly Black captive population. Literal slavery is on the ballot, of course our community of Black workers is from all over the world, and so it’s important to know that voting is not the only way to impact the election,” she said.

Longtime community advocate Steven Neal, director of outreach and Engagement with the LA Federation of Labor, also addressed the impact of Measure A on homeless services.

He said that it is set to drive change and get real results in the housing sector.

“It’s a citizen initiative. It’s going to keep what’s working. We’ve been paying into what’s called Measure H for eight years, Measure H has what’s called a sunset within two years. The money that is going into homelessness and homeless services will go away if we do not replace it with this measure, Measure A,” he said.

For more information:

To see the LeadershipLB forum, see
https://LeadershipLB.org/candidates-forum

For  “Know What The Hell You’re Voting For 2024” webinar, see
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRaGhu2gMiE

For information on ballot measures and propositions, including voting rights, see
https://www.aclusocal.org/en/aclu-socal-2024-ballot-guide

Secretary of State Election Dates and Resources:
https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voting-resources/voting-california/election-dates-and-resources

Project 2025 Fact Sheet, Center for American Progress
https://www.americanprogress.org/article/fact-sheets-the-harmful-effects-of-project-2025-by-state/