Another third party problem?

By HERB BOYD Special to the AmNews

Both President Joe Biden and former President Trump are flawed, according to Dr. Cornel West. In a move to distance himself further from the other presidential candidates, West is running on the Green Party and/or the People’s Party ticket. In his denouncements, he cited Biden’s past “connections” to segregationists, and Trump’s views on racial matters.

During an appearance on Fox News ’ “Hannity” on Monday, West stated that his bid for the Oval Office was as “serious as a heart attack.”

To clarify his charge of Biden’s connection to segregationists, West cited that in 2008, Biden reportedly called the former Mississippi Sen. John Stennis, “a hell of a guy.”

West is also accusing Biden of “crimes against humanity,” against African Americans, confirming a report that appeared in the New York Post. When Hannity noted that minority voters were mainly tied to the Democratic Party, West said it was as broken as the GOP, both he charged are in the pocket of “big money” and corruption.

Whether the Green Party or the People’s Party, West’s bid is getting the attention of Democrats, many of whom are recalling 2016 and the third-party campaign. “This is not the time in order to experiment. This is not the time to play around on the margins,” warned DNC Chairman Jaime Harrison, a close Biden confidant, over the weekend.

Harrison is perhaps referencing Hillary Clinton’s race against Trump when considerable votes went to Jill

Stein, the Green Party candidate. Such a spoiler was also noted by David Axelrod, Barack Obama’s chief strategist. “Now, with Cornel West as their [Green Party] likely nominee, they could easily do it again. Risky business.”

“What we see is a lot of folks who want to be relevant and try to be relevant in these elections and not looking at the big picture,” Harrison said.“We got to reelect Joe Biden.”

There are marked differences between Clinton’s run seven years ago and West’s current bid, mostly between the candidates themselves. West may be popular on the left and in academic circles, he in no way brings the same kind of political background Stein possessed. Even so, there is a large swath of Democrats concerned about Biden’s age and his policies.

Rev. Jackson steps down and designates Rev. Dr. Frederick Douglass Haynes, III, to lead Rainbow PUSH Coalition

By HERB BOYD Special to the AmNews

On June 15, the Rev. Jesse Jackson announced plans to retire as President and CEO of Rainbow PUSH Coalition.

A month later he named Dr. Frederick Douglass Haynes, III, as his successor. Dr. Haynes was officially installed at the organization’s national convention on Sunday, July 16, with Vice President Kamala Harris as a keynote speaker.

Assuming the helm of Rainbow PUSH is a leadership role he is familiar with since he is the senior pastor at Friendship-West Baptist Church, a megachurch in Dallas with more than 13,000 members. A press release stated that Dr. Haynes will continue as senior pastor at the church.

“Rev. Jesse Jackson has made the world a better place, breaking down barriers, opening previously locked doors of opportunity, fighting for justice, and refusing to take ‘no’ for an answer on behalf of those who have no voice,” said Dr. Haynes. “Rainbow PUSH has been the organizational vehicle that he has driven in the movement for justice. I am honored and humbled that he has tapped me to serve as his successor as the president and CEO of this great organization.”

At the convention, Rev. Jackson, 81, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2017, entered the Apostolic Church of God in Woodlawn, Chicago in a wheelchair, leaned on the lectern, and with his usual eminence stated: “I am not retiring. I am pivoting.” He promised to remain actively involved in the movement.

After his son, Rep. Jonathan Jackson, reflecting on his father’s immense legacy, introduced Vice President Harris, she also embellished Jackson’s prominence.

“Today we celebrate one of America’s greatest patriots, someone who deeply believes in the promise of our country, a fighter for freedom and human rights for all people,” Harris said. “At the core of Rev’s work is the belief that the diversity of our nation is not a weakness or an afterthought, but instead, our greatest strength.” She underscored the importance of Rainbow PUSH in the fight against “the extremists and their agenda to divide us as a nation.”

Dr. Haynes seems well eminently qualified to replace Rev. Jackson with his as- sociation with a number of national social, political, and religious organizations, including the founding in 2003 of the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference along with Rev. Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright, Jr. and Dr. Iva E. Carruthers. Dr. Haynes currently serves as co-chairman of the board. He is also on the board of the Conference of National Black Churches, the National Action Network, and the IC3 Church Growth and Development Conference. He also serves as a member of the board of trustees of Paul Quinn College, an HBCU in Dallas, Texas where he has served as an adjunct professor.

Virtual forum on the ‘Faith of Malcolm X’

On Sunday, July 23, the Malcolm X Commemoration Committee (MXCC) will host a moving virtual teach-in on “The Faith of Malcolm X.” The forum starts at 2 p.m.

It will feature pioneering Islamic Women’s Rights champion and archivist Aisha AlAdawiya and Schomburg Scholar-in-Residence Yannis Mahil.

Al-Adawiya, a pioneering champion of women’s rights in Islam, is the founder of Women in Islam, Inc. She is the recently retired coordinator of Islamic input for the Preservation of the Black Religious Heritage Documentation Project at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, has appeared in numerous international forums, and has served on a number of boards, including that of the Malcolm X & Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial and Educational Center.

Yannis Mahil is winding down his stay at the Schomburg Center as its scholar-in-residence. He is a native of Morocco and is currently working on his own book on Malcolm X.

Beloved elder freedom fighter and cultural worker Bilal Sunni Ali will also be a special guest on behalf of Imam Jamil Abdullah AlAmin, the gathering’s political prisoner spotlight. Coming from a Garveyite family, joining NY chapter of the Black Panther Party, surviving being targeted by the state, and performing with the late Gil Scott Heron — what has Bilal Sunni Ali not done?

Al-Amin is fighting for his release after having been framed for killing a police officer in Georgia two decades ago. Best known as H. Rap Brown from his legendary presence in the Civil Rights Movement, Imam Jamil has endured and continues to face serious health issues, including cancer and a stroke. A full-fledged campaign to secure his freedom is in motion and is coordinated by the Imam Jamil Action Network (https://imamjamilactionnetwork.org/).

Please register for this moving talk at this Eventbrite link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/ tZMvceCurz0rHdR3w6ddUgA-70ULUYtQ-wk6

Downtown Newark’s Halsey Festival

Come to Downtown Newark’s iconic Halsey Street on Saturday, July 22nd from noon to 5 p.m. for the Halsey Festival, a free, open-to-the-public outdoor celebration. The BrownMill Anniversary Block Party x Halsey Fest will be a full day of curated cultural experiences for children and adults under the backdrop of Newark-based artists, creators, and small businesses selling one-of-a-kind goods.

Children will have empowering, quality hands-on experiences to channel their innate curiosity and creativity. Adults will have the opportunity to be inspired by the community organizations, makers and businesses that fuel Newark’s unwavering creative energy.

For more information, visit: www.halseyfestival.com