In the past week, my life and many others were consumed with the Alabama State Senate race between former Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore and attorney Doug Jones. On the twelfth of December Alabama residents flocked to the polls in record numbers despite many reported acts of voter suppression. People such as myself who had never stepped foot in the state, were captivated by a race that involved a suspected child molester with a history of saying the most outrageous bigoted things, even by Representative Steve King’s standards. Moore’s opponent, Jones, had been struggling in the polls. Although he had been a civil rights lawyer, he was thought of as not having a chance to win the election. Moore, who had been dogged by accusations of sexual misconduct dating back decades, denied the claims. His supporters defended him, saying any interactions between Moore and a 14-year-old girl didn’t go beyond “taking off the clothes.” In the age of women finally coming forward and naming their sexual abusers, before the polls closed still held onto a two point lead.
When the results were finalized and the votes were counted, Doug Jones defeated Roy Moore by less than 2%. The numbers were tallied at 49.9% to 48.4%. The leading narrative was that Black people–Black women specifically–rocketed Jones to victory. Black women voted a whopping 98% for Jones, while Black men were closely behind with 93%. Many people on social media jumped up for joy thanking Black women for being the key to the Doug Jones win. “Black women once again come through.” “Black women saved the country and white people from themselves.” “Believe Black women…” were constantly bandied throughout the media. When I look across the “virtual landscape” and see this congratulatory tone, I have to ask myself, “What, exactly, did we win?”
The first thing I thought of when I saw that 73% of white men and 63% of white women voted for Roy Moore was insanity. I had initially picked Moore to win; as I said before, I am under no illusions about where we are in this country. America is one of the most racist places on earth. It is a country that rewards white supremacy every day, so it wouldn’t have been a surprise for a man who thought “America was in a better place when we had slavery” had won the Senate seat. Throughout our time in the USA, politicians have said and done racist acts towards Black people and are lionized as great leaders. I figured Moore would be the next in a long line of white people that did so. However, in the era of #metoo, I thought Moore would have been called to resign. Women, particularly white women, had co-opted an idea created by a Black woman and led the charge against powerful men, particularly white men in the entertainment industry, sports, and politics. Men were being terminated from employment and shamed; rightfully so.
I loved seeing women gather strength, stand up against bullies, and beat them.
Still, Moore was fending off his challenges. His followers did not believe any of the accusations, stating, “That was a different time…” It was incredible. Moore was made of steel. When the final numbers came out and I read that 63% of white women voted for a man who had been accused of sexual assault, I could not believe it. I spoke with my partner Michelle about this and expressed how dumbfounded I was. I am not expecting white women and men to stand up for Black folks – that ain’t happening, but for young teens and kids, yes! Michelle looked at me and said, “It kind of makes you lose faith in people huh?”
The fact that Doug Jones, a man who prosecuted the two remaining members of the 16th street Baptist Church Bombing that killed Addie Mae Collins, Cynthia Wesley, Carole Robinson, and Carol Denise McNair in 2000 and who has supported same sex marriage and abortion, can barely defeat a man who had allegedly touched a 14-year-old girl when he was 32 says so much about where we are in America. This wasn’t a landslide, this wasn’t a rout, it was a close race that should have not been at all. All I can think of is–we are in trouble.
To the Black folks who overwhelmingly voted for Jones, thank you, I guess.
We voted for a man that did not promise he would do anything for us. I am not saying Jones is a bad man, I am just saying we need to think more strategically about our best self-interest. There was nothing demanded of Doug Jones; Black folks just voted for him because he wasn’t a racist and he wasn’t Roy Moore. We need to make these parties earn our vote and not take us for granted. After the votes were counted, all we got in return was white people “thanking us for being the moral fiber of the country”; something we have been since America was created. Maybe we should think about forming our own party since our needs are never addressed. Just some thoughts… By the way, white America, if you are feeling grateful towards us, how about supporting reparations? Help convict police officers who kill unarmed Black men? Heck, I will even take y’all finally believing us when we say something racist happened to us.
For those who voted for Roy Moore, you chose maintaining a racist/white supremacist power structure over protecting your children, teenagers, and women. Moore said, “Women should not have the right to vote” and 63% of white women gave him theirs. This was one of the worst times to be on the wrong side of history. What will you say to your daughters when they ask you, “Did you vote for Doug Jones?” How can you look at sexual assault survivors and tell them you support them when you really supported an alleged abuser?
From my vantage point, the future does not look good.
If people cannot think critically and about others, then we will have another four years of The Donald. I thought people would rise up after the audio tape of Trump bragging about “grabbing pussy” was released, but he won the presidency by a landslide (it didn’t help that the Dems had an equally bad candidate, but that is neither here nor there). So I say to everyone, the citizens of Alabama narrowly electing Doug Jones is not something to hang our hats on.
We have to be stronger.
—
Join The Good Men Project Community.
“Here’s the thing about The Good Men Project. We are trying to create big, sweeping, societal changes—–overturn stereotypes, eliminate racism, sexism, homophobia, be a positive force for good for things like education reform and the environment. And we’re also giving individuals the tools they need to make individual change—-with their own relationships, with the way they parent, with their ability to be more conscious, more mindful, and more insightful. For some people, that could get overwhelming. But for those of us here at The Good Men Project, it is not overwhelming. It is simply something we do—–every day. We do it with teamwork, with compassion, with an understanding of systems and how they work, and with shared insights from a diversity of viewpoints.” —– Lisa Hickey, Publisher of The Good Men Project and CEO of Good Men Media Inc.
The $50 Platinum Level is an ALL-ACCESS PASS—join as many of our new Social Interest Groups, calls about life in the 21st century, and classes (writing, platform building, leadership, social change) as you want for the entire year. The $25 Gold Level gives you access to any ONE Social Interest Group and ONE Class–and other benefits listed below the form. Or…for $12, join as a Bronze Member and support our mission.