Stirring Beneath the Stage Lights

These last few weeks have truly been chaotic for Americans, from the tariffs to the crashing of the stock market. Not that I have a great deal invested. I must admit, my investments are very moderate and reserved in my 401(k) account. But I did experience a loss — nothing, at least for me, to cry about. I understand that the market can sometimes be volatile, and that does impact my investments. Still, I don’t need to run and close out my account just because Trump decided to make good on his promise of tariffs.

What amazed me last week were the fear tactics the Democrats and left-leaning media used to dramatize the tariff situation. They acted as if America was actually losing in a world where we consistently win by the grace of God — as if China won’t pay when it’s checked by its biggest importer of cheap goods, and as if Trump could truly isolate the largest economy in the world. I happen to believe it is God who raises world nations, not one man. I also think it’s better to lose all monetary and worldly belongings than to lose my soul. But the Democrats were acting as if we were all going straight to hell because Trump instituted tariffs.

Meanwhile, the Senate turned into a one-man stage play starring Cory Booker, who spoke for more than 25 hours. His speech was only interrupted by fellow senators who felt more like a cast of characters than serious legislators, dropping in to ask questions disguised as long soliloquies. Democratic senators — from Rankin to Klobuchar to Schumer — chimed in with questions meant to reinforce every campaign promise they claim Trump has failed to deliver. They leaned on their usual script, invoking a watered-down version of the civil rights movement, but left out one glaring truth. They forgot ADOS. Again.

Over the last several days, Cory Booker has been flooding the airwaves with campaign ads, invoking the spirit of the Civil Rights era. He name-drops Fannie Lou Hamer, Ida B. Wells, MLK, and Malcolm X — individuals who dedicated their lives to the fight for justice for Black Americans. But let’s be clear: he is not invoking their names to continue the ADOS fight. He is using them to bolster his own fight for the White House. During his 25-hour performance, he argued for immigrant rights, spoke about LGBTQ rights and climate change — but he left out prison reform, education, and reparations. The very issues that matter most to our communities.

It is a performance. A carefully crafted image meant to stir emotion and secure votes, but not to deliver substance. We have to say no to these recycled images of so-called Black leaders like Cory Booker, who only remember our communities when it suits them — when it is politically convenient. The rest of the time, they are silent, tucked away in Senate offices, collecting checks and cozying up to progressives who would not know an ADOS issue if it walked up and introduced itself.

Booker wants to be seen as a torchbearer for our community, but he never carries the flame when it is inconvenient or controversial. That is not leadership. That is opportunism.

But there is hope. Far away from the Senate floor. If you look at what just happened in Louisiana, you see it. You see the spark of something real, something grassroots, something deeply rooted in the ADOS experience.

In the recent off-year election, Black voters in Louisiana showed up. Organizers went out knocking on doors and partnered with community leaders to get people to the polls. They rejected the governor’s extreme policies, including an effort to prosecute juveniles as adults, something that disproportionately harms our children. They said no to building bigger prisons, no to harsher taxation, and no to criminalizing Black youth. Despite the odds, and despite decades of voter fatigue, they came out. And not because they trusted Democrats, but because they cared.

They were tired. Tired of the same cycle of neglect. Tired of being the bait and the catch. The Democrats have not taught us how to fish. They have made us the fish. They reel us in every election season with promises they have no intention of keeping.

According to the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana, only 36 percent of registered voters participated in the 2023 gubernatorial primary election. But among Black voters, turnout in certain parishes jumped by as much as 12 percent in response to criminal justice reform and education-related ballot measures. That is not apathy. That is strategy. That is community power being reclaimed by a spark.

It is proof that when we galvanize around issues that matter, when we organize from the ground up, we can make a difference. That is what happened in Louisiana. Not because of a party. Not because of a personality. But because of purpose.

There are other reasons to be optimistic. Black voters who had aligned with Kamala Harris are beginning to wake up. Slowly, but it’s happening surely. Even voices like Roland Martin are starting to shift. He hasn’t gone far enough to the center, but he’s beginning to admit the truth about the flaws in Harris’s run for the White House. We all need to wake up, open our eyes, and see the negative impact Democratic policies have had on our communities.

It is clear, we need leaders who will fight for ADOS. Not perform. Not pander. Not pacify. The kind of movement, rooted in economic justice, political independence, and cultural clarity, will take time.

Having seen the spark in Louisiana. Now we need the fire — a fire that burns bright through the midterms and blazes into 2028.

We need a sustained fire. A fire that fuels grassroots movements, empowers local leaders, and demands policies that invest in our communities.

Cory Booker is running about with such pride in having done absolutely nothing but solidified his own stamina. His 25-hour filibuster didn’t change hearts and minds. Didn’t open any eyes or enlighten or illuminate. His filibuster didn’t change policy or inspire new legislation. We watched 25 hours of the Harris campaign on steroids and made no difference.

If ADOS is going to win this election, then it’s going to come down to which party — Democrat or Republican — can raise up an ADOS candidate that supports our issues at the grassroots level.

Without that type of candidate, it’s clear nothing will change in a world where everything must change.

——————————

📢 Copyright Notice:

This article is my original work and may not be reproduced, copied, or distributed without my explicit permission. If you would like to reference or use any part of this content, please contact me at jmbeausby@aol.com for consent.