WHAT WE BLACKS NEED TO DO

Letter to Editor

PART TWO

 By James Hankins

During my 34 years teaching vocational education (shop), I taught my students a new word every week. It turned some D- students to B+ and changed their attitude from negative to positive. Our parents and students need to add at least one new word to their vocabulary every week for the 52 weeks in 2022. I will post one or two every Sunday. The word for today is PETITION.

A request for a person or group to do something. I am sending my petition to Senator Joe Manchin asking him to vote “YES” for the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. Some republicans’ goal is to suppress the Black vote and return us back to 2^nd class citizens. At least 250 new

laws have been proposed in 43 states to limit mail-in, early in-person and election day voting. The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act would become federal law which would override all the racist voter suppression laws passed by the states. I assume Senator Joe Manchin worked hard at his former occupations, saved, invested his money and has now reached the financial level where he can drive his Italian made Maserati from the Senate building to his $700,000 yacht “Almost Heaven” docked in the Potomac River in Washington, D C. His salary as a U.S. Senator, $174,000, a year would not allow him that lifestyle.

He is enjoying his 15 minutes of FAME and we are not mad at him for reaching the American dream we see on television every day. Senator, we also have worked and are still working hard in our many occupations, (some with two or more jobs, so we may achieve that American dream someday (smile). We only ask people like you in power to do the things we are not empowered to do. You have said many times you believe in equal rights for all. We appreciate your words; now show us your “action” by using your one vote in the U.S. Senate to do the right thing by voting “YES” to restore our voting rights.

NOTE # – A little history. President Lyndon B.  Johnson told Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. the U.S. Senate was filled with southern senators who would not pass a civil rights or voting rights act. Dr. King told President Johnson we will demonstrate, petition, boycott, march, pray and fill the jails until “justice rolls down like a river and righteousness like a mighty stream”.

The U.S. Senate passed a strong Civil Rights Bill in 1964 and Voting rights Act 1965. In 2013 Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts along with his other bias Justices voted to gut the most important part of the Voting Rights Act rendering it impotent. I am asking all to send your petition to the Senator by text, phone, Facebook, mail or email. His phone number is (201) 224-3954. Address: 306 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20510. Are you and your children over 16 ½ registered? James Hankins-Retired Vocational Education teacher, former president of New Hanover County NAACP, raconteur, writer and author.  ((910) 769-7388