This has been and the larger agenda as we think about voting rights in America, and what's happening as we do this work together
but glad that you asked that question. Obviously, no one was expecting the news that we got on the Alabama case, which means that probably there's more than like, we're probably a very high likelihood that Louisiana is also going to be redrawn favorably for African American citizens and probably Georgia as well. When you get the compactness laws, precedent system said when it comes to reapportionment in our country, and so there have actually been, this Supreme Court has actually, you know, kind of surprised us. I think the one of the things that we have to do as a community is to remind everyone that there are other states where is whereas that compactness is not going to be as clear as it is in Alabama and Georgia and Louisiana. And we need to continue to advocate particularly for communities of color to stay together for them to not be split or depart in order to make up other pieces of various Republican districts. I think that that we need to be on the same page. When we're talking about redistricting. The Chair mentioned something that I thought was representative
I'm sorry to interrupt. Sorry to interrupt. Boston, we have a big surprise. I apologize for interrupting but you know, we've been talking a lot during this townhall about the issues confronting black people in America. Where we are and who we want to be, what we want our democracy to look like. And we know that this work is not for the faint of heart. Right now the events that are happening in Florida, by their governor, the Republican Party, presidential candidate and the Florida Board of Education to try to rewrite history to erase our history to somehow infer that slavery was a Benefits of Black people which it is not right now. We have an absolute defiance of our Supreme Court decision that requires Alabama and Louisiana to give black voters more voting power and to ensure they have the representation that they deserve. Right now. Black women are suffering because of the ideologically driven Supreme Court to overturn Roe vs. Wade, which is only worsening the black maternal maternal mortality crisis and right now, in the US in the year 2023. A member of the House of Representatives took to the floor and referred to black servicemembers who defend our country and veterans who lived through segregation as colored people. But we are fortunate because we have a leader, a leader that won't back down. They won't give up they won't give in and did. Indeed we have a leader that can help us meet this moment and withstand the test of time. So I'm proud that we have that leader with us today. Who is fighting alongside us every single day. I'm proud that she is the person working alongside our president Boston. Please welcome Vice President.
Saying
first, I want to thank Chairman Morris for your leadership as a proud alum of the CBC Congressional Black Caucus. I want to thank the congresswoman Ayanna Presley she is well
I have spent so much time with your Congress member with your Congresswoman and she just lights rooms on fire. Always speaking about the people of her district in an understanding that how folks here are doing is a measure of how we are doing with the country. So Congresswoman, thank you for inviting us as well and hosting us here and to my other time, members, thank you for all that you do as long as the CDC so I just wanted to come by because I know everybody's been meeting today and over the course of the next couple of days in connection with the conference for the NAACP and of course, hosted here in Boston and the Boston chapter of the NAACP being historic in terms of what it has done and what it has always represented. And as as chairman Horsford has said, and I know everybody here knows because you wouldn't be here on this Friday afternoon. There was so much at stake in our country. There is so much at stake in our country. And the future of America has always relied on the folks who are in this room and others like this around our countries who are the conscience of our country who love our country so dearly and deeply and we are prepared to fight every day for America. To achieve it realizes crumbs, who love our country so deeply that we understand as we do with raising our own children or lesbian members of our family, that the strongest relationships are born out of also, always having the courage to admit truth in a way then then we can work on and so when we look at the issues that we are facing today, a truth among many is that we are looking at a full on attack on the hard fought hard won freedoms and rights that have been achieved by the people in this room and so many others that were here before us and upon the shoulders. We stand as chairman horseferry said, Well can you imagine the highest court in our land the court of Thurgood a constitutional rights that have been recognized from the people of America and the women of America and then most recently, what they did on student loan debt relief, what they did on affirmative bench. We are looking at extremists, so called leaders who dare to say that they are a national leader for denying America's clear history on the issue of slavery who would dare to say that people benefited and enslaved people benefited from being enslaved, free. They consult us well, they like us. And we're not having and here's the other thing, Roxbury that I will say, right. Fall for the Okey doke. Austin, you know, what's real from what is a distraction from what they're trying to distract? us from the realities that we must address when it comes to, for example, policies that are about prioritizing diversity and equity and inclusion, and they try to distract us from that, by instead suggesting that the enslaved people of America benefited from slavery. They want us to debate that so that they can distract from the fact that we're not dealing with equity and inclusion and
they tried to distract us while they walk around. beating their chests, suggesting that the measure of strength is based on who you beat down instead of what we know based on who you lift up. At distract us by suggesting that it is a sign of weakness to have empathy, empathy being the ability to have some level of curiosity concern and care for the suffering of other people. True leaders have empathy. True leaders pay attention to the plight and the circumstances of the people. They at least say they represent and then address those issues. So we're at a moment now we are facing some old face hypocrisy from extremists. So called leaders. And how do we call it out? Well, we made it what it is. But then we work to make sure that they don't win with that foolishness.
Work to do what everyone here did. In the height of a pandemic in 2021. In the midst of extraordinary suffering and loss, loss of human life, folks lost their jobs, people lost all sense of normalcy, not to mention how much school and education our children lost during that period. And in spite of all the suffering that was taking place at that very time. The leaders in this room did not give up and you were in touch with your neighbors and your friends and your colleagues and your family members and you reminded them that even though circumstances were making people feel so alone, that their vote would matter, and they had to know that and they had to act on it and because you work so hard to help people remember that in the darkest moments. That we must shine a light. And we must remind people they're not alone because you did that we had one of the most record churn out of voters and black voters America has ever seen. In
a number of young voters in 2020. And because that happened, Joe Biden was elected President of the United States and I was elected the first black.
And so I say all that to say thank you. I say all of that, because I am a public face of a lot of what we have accomplished and I am here to thank you because because of what you did. Seniors who have been for years facing bankruptcy because they've been forced to make a choice whether they food in their fridge or fill their prescription. Those in particular with diabetes. Black folks are 60% more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes. Because of what you did Joe Biden I got an office and we have now kept the cost of insulin at the center
of what you did, we are now allowing Medicare to negotiate against the pharmaceutical companies for drug prices and we are going to cap the annual cost of prescription medication for seniors to $2,000 a year because of what you did this happened because elections matter because of what you did. Those grandmothers and grandfathers that throughout our country have been crying out saying you got to deal with these lead pipes because our babies are drinking toxic water which is impacting their health and learning ability. And maybe I'm not a doctor but I know what's happening. This is what families have been saying throughout our country, in particular, low income communities where they could afford to replace the pipes on their own. disproportionately affecting children of color. Because of what you did, Joe Biden and I and the leaders at this table are on the path to getting rid of all the lead pipes in America because of what you did because of what you did, saying, You know what, but the pandemic highlighted a real problem that already existed, which is far too many people in our country can't afford our don't have access to high speed internet, which means our children cannot compete because you know, gone are the days of Encyclopedia Britannica by the way. A babies need access to the web, to do their homework. And because of what you did and the leaders at this table, we are now in the process of making sure that broadband high speed internet is accessible and affordable to every family in America.
So much more and I could go on and on. But I give these examples. I offer these examples to make the point that elections matter but the outcome of an election will only be a function of our ability to remind people that this vote matters. So right now I just wanted to combine because I know there's been a day of training and discussion about all these priorities. I know I'm preaching to the choir. Let's make sure that we take each one of these days seriously, let's not wait until next year on the eve of the election. We got to start now. Let's start registering folks now to vote. Go to vote.gov and see if you're registered to vote. let folks know where they can vote. Remind your friends and your neighbors to do that. And ultimately, let's remind folks, so much is at stake, including our very democracy. And I don't need to tell everybody here is there's a certain duality to the nature of democracy. It's got two different sides to it on the one side, when a democracy is intact, it is very strong in terms of the strength it gives to individuals to protect their rights, to protect their freedoms. There's an incredible strength in the nature of democracy. On the other side, it's very fragile. It's only as strong as our willingness to fight for. So that is our charge and our duty. And when I look around this room I know we're up to it. I thank you all.
