NewsOne is again with Episode 10 of The Black Ballot, an unique multi-episodic docuseries exploring the historical past of African American voting.

Each episode dives into American presidents’ choices and their lasting affect on the situations of African Americans, particularly regarding voting.

Rosa Parks and the Clarence Thomas Controversy

The newest episode opens with civil rights icon Rosa Parks’ robust criticism of President George H.W. Bush’s nomination of Clarence Thomas to the Supreme Court. She warned that Thomas’ affirmation would reverse civil rights progress. Revisiting the affirmation hearings chaired by Senator Joe Biden, the place Anita Hill’s sexual harassment allegations towards Thomas turned central. This uncovered the intersection of race and gender in politics. Biden’s dealing with of Hill’s testimony confronted criticism in later years.

Crime, Drugs, and Media Manipulation

The Bush administration’s use of younger Black males as political instruments within the warfare on medicine is one other key focus. Keith Jackson, a highschool scholar from Washington, D.C., was lured into promoting crack cocaine close to the White House. Federal brokers arrange the sale. President Bush used it to make a public assertion concerning the risks of medicine. This occasion strengthened dangerous stereotypes of Black youth and painted African Americans because the face of crime in America.

The episode additionally discusses Donald Trump’s function within the Central Park Five case. Trump took out full-page adverts calling for the dying penalty for the 5 Black and Latino teenagers accused. Although the boys had been exonerated, Trump’s actions stirred racial stress and concern, additional demonizing Black communities.

Rodney King and the Explosion of Racial Tensions

One of essentially the most defining moments of the early ’90s was the Rodney King beating. Los Angeles law enforcement officials had been caught on digicam assaulting King, which sparked nationwide outrage. The officers’ acquittal led to the L.A. riots and deepened conversations about race and police brutality in America.

Josiah Bates discusses the lasting results of those occasions on Black communities, saying, “Late ’80s, early to mid-’90s, that was a time where violent crime, gun violence, was out of control, and it was primarily an issue in the Black community… When you look at the war on drugs, it was created to turn Black communities into this warzone.”

Guest commentary from Tiffany Cross, Dr. Ben Chavis, and Don Lemon provides additional depth as they discover how media and political agendas worsened racial divides throughout this era.

Don’t miss this deep dive into the legacy of the Black vote and the continued battle for illustration, and keep tuned for future episodes of The Black Ballot.

SEE ALSO:

The Black Ballot Episode 8: Impressionable Politics

The Black Ballot, Episode 9: ‘Reagan Repercussions’