Black Independent Party (ARK) Archives

First Of, I would like to thank all the people of different races that help us celebrate our freedom because my own people will not celebrate it in fear of upsetting whites and their feelings. Juneteenth means more to me than it does most of the people of my race because I know the historical background of it. My ancestors were the first victims of police brutality. I have been harrassed by police officers who have told me "They love getting Nggers like me." I have been arrested falsely several times and police have physically attacked me. There have been time where they have attempted to beat me to the ground. I stood my ground and never resisted. I always took my beating like a strong Black man while I watch others cry about police officers that talk to them the wrong way. I am not better, I am stronger. They fear that attribute about me. They will not get me to lose my self control and it frustrates them utill they have to be violent and create fake charges of crimes. ...

Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States. T he oldest known celebration commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States.   Dating back to 1865, it was on  June 19 th  that the Union soldiers, led by  Major General Gordon Granger , landed at  Galveston, Texas  with news that the war had ended and that the  enslaved were now free . Note that this was  two and a half years  after  President Lincoln’s  Emancipation Proclamation  - which had  become official January 1, 1863 . The Emancipation Proclamation had little impact on the Texans due to the minimal number of Union troops to enforce the new  Executive Order . However, with the  surrender of General Lee in April of 1865 , and the  arrival of General Granger’s regiment,  the  forces  were finally strong enough to  influence  and  overcome the resistance....

Robert -- Today is  Hillary Clinton 's last day as  Secretary of State . She did an outstanding job representing our country for the past four years -- and I wanted to thank her for her service. Add your name to our thank-you note to Secretary Clinton. We'll deliver your message to her: http://my.democrats.org/Thank-Hillary Thanks, Debbie Debbie Wasserman Schultz Chair Democratic National Committee

Robert, The 2012 election brought tremendous gains for  women in Congress , with a total of 97 women serving in both chambers. But those achievements are anything but permanent. In 2014, three female Democratic senators will be up for re-election. In the House, 13 newly elected Democratic women will once again face serious challengers. We have to be ready to support them. Give to my Off the Sidelines PAC so we can defend Democratic women from right-wing attacks and ensure they remain in Congress where they belong. We need to raise $30,000 before midnight tonight to make this year's first end-of-the-month goal. Please, don’t wait. Click here to donate $5 to Off the Sidelines before the deadline in just 13 hours. This is the first monthly goal of 2013, so it’s critical we reach it. Building up our resources now for the next mid-term election is absolutely essential. It’s the only way to hold our majority in the Senate and make gains in the House. And it’s the only way...

robert, Strength. Dignity. Determination. And some great dance moves. That's just some of what we saw out of  Hillary Clinton  in her service as  secretary of state . From being the first secretary of state to visit Burma since 1955 to standing tough in the face of congressional hearings to advancing the cause of girls and women around the globe,  Hillary Clinton showed us time and again what women in leadership can do. Click here to read Hillary Clinton's best moments as secretary of state. We're so grateful for Hillary's service to our country and for being a beacon of hope to women around the world and we know you are too. Thanks so much for always being there for the women fighting to keep moving our country -- and the world -- forward. EMILY's List P.S. If you haven't added your name to our thank you card for Hillary's service to our country,  give Hillary your message of thanks and sign right now.

Robert, Our efforts to prevent gun violence just got a big boost. Today, Republican Senator Mark Kirk and I introduced a bill to fight gun trafficking. This is the first bipartisan action since the tragic shooting in Newtown. It would define gun trafficking as a federal crime, impose stiff penalties on perpetrators and help stop the flow of illegal weapons onto our streets. We need to pass it. Gaining Senator Kirk’s support is an enormous help, but it does not guarantee success. As you know, any proposed gun law is going to meet stiff resistance in Congress. That’s why I need you to speak out now in support of this bill. The only way to press forward is by accepting nothing less. Sign my petition today, and tell members of Congress to pass The Gun Trafficking Prevention Act. Let lawmakers know that you demand action to stop rampant gun violence. It shouldn’t take the senseless killing of innocent children and teachers to get strong gun laws in place. Now that we’re here,...

Robert -- Today in Nevada,  President Obama  laid out his plan for  comprehensive immigration reform , and right now, he needs to know who's ready to help get this done. Add your name in support of the President's plan for immigration reform today. Ask pretty much anyone, and they'll agree: Our nation's immigration system is broken. But working together, we can fix it so everyone plays by the same rules. To that end, the President has proposed the following steps: - Continue to strengthen and secure our borders; - Crack down on companies that hire undocumented workers; - Establish a legal path to earned citizenship for the 11 million undocumented immigrants who are already here -- including children who were brought here through no fault of their own; - And streamline legal immigration for those who are already playing by the rules. Solving this problem is not only essential to a strong economy and a thriving middle class, it's also the right thing to do. The time ...

Breaking news: Violence Against Women Act reintroduced in House and Senate robert, If Republicans want to prove they care about women, they're off to a pretty bad start in 2013. House Republicans let the Violence Against Women Act expire last December -- for the first time in nearly 25 years.   The GOP's callous abandonment of the more than 1.3 million women abused by a partner each year is absolutely outrageous.  But our pro-choice Democratic women -- like Jeanne Shaheen, Kay Hagan, and Barbara Mikulski in the Senate, and Louise Slaughter, Nancy Pelosi, and Gwen Moore in the House -- are on the case, speaking out bravely and introducing new legislation to get the landmark law back on the books.   Join us in sending our women leaders a message that the EMILY's List community is behind them all the way.  Sign our petition and tell the amazing women fighting to pass VAWA that you're standing with them. The Republicans have made their 2013 priorities pretty clear...

robert, Tammy Baldwin, Elizabeth Warren,  and  Mazie Hirono. Maggie Hassan,  and a total of more than 28 of our fearless pro-choice Democratic senators and congresswomen. Almost 1,400 amazing EMILY's List members.  True Strength In Numbers. We all gathered yesterday to revel in our amazing 2012 victories -- and pledged to continue to fight together in pursuit of our progressive ideals. And we did it all on the weekend that we inaugurate President Obama for another four years of fighting for our progress.   And every single one of those amazing women would tell you the same thing: that  this inspiring day wouldn't have been possible without you.   We didn't want you to miss a single moment -- click here to see photos, watch our special Strength In Numbers video, and read our wrap-up from yesterday's sellout event! Take care, and here's to more and more amazing weekends like this one.    Stephanie

Robert L., Tomorrow morning on the steps of the U.S. Capitol,  Barack Obama  will be sworn in for his second term as President of the United States. I’m excited to be there to witness this historic event, which is always such a powerful reminder of the great democracy we live in. Please join me in congratulating President Obama on this special day, and let him know that you will stand with him over the next four years. Click here to sign my congratulatory card, and wish the president the best as he takes the oath of office. There is so much to be done during his second term. Over the past few weeks, we’ve mapped out an ambitious agenda. By pulling together now, I am confident we can accomplish it. Sincerely, Kirsten

robert, This is appalling. Yesterday, on his radio show,  Rush Limbaugh  said:  "You know how to stop abortion? Require that each one occur with a gun." That's right. At a time when we need to have a serious conversation about gun safety and mental health -- and when we still have a Republican House unwilling to protect women through the  Violence Against Women Act  -- Rush Limbaugh decides to spew even more hateful vitriol toward women. None of us has forgotten the vile anti-woman abuse leveled at Sandra Fluke last year by Rush. We can't let this latest outrage go unchallenged. Click here to send a clear message to Rush Limbaugh: your violent language toward women is unacceptable. Our community knows just how devastating gun violence can be, especially for our country's families. Join us today in taking a stand against Rush's verbal attacks against women. Stephanie

Dear Robert, When many people think of the  filibuster , they think of the 1939 film  Mr. Smith Goes to Washington . In this classic, Senator Smith talks ceaselessly on the Senate floor to stand up for the little guy against the special interests. It's an unusual and dramatic scene. Today, that scene has been turned upside down.  Senate Republicans routinely use the filibuster to block anything and everything they dislike -- no matter how uncontroversial or critical it is -- to protect special interests at the expense of the little guy. Thankfully, the Senate has an opportunity to fix the filibuster next week, and I -- along with Senators Jeff Merkley and Tom Udall -- plan to do it. Click here to sign my petition to promote transparency and accountability, and get the Senate working again, by fixing the filibuster. Defenders of this kind of obstruction like to point to the traditions of the Senate in support of their cynical actions. But our founding fathers ...

Robert -- Yesterday, President Obama announced his plan to protect our children and our communities by helping reduce gun violence. We won't stop every violent act like the one in Newtown, Connecticut. But if we can save the life of even one child, the President believes each of us has a responsibility to take action. People like you spoke out and demanded action. Your input, along with ideas from leaders and policymakers across the political spectrum, went into the President's plan. Learn more about the plan, and say you stand with President Obama in tackling this critical issue. Most gun owners use their guns safely and responsibly, and the President believes firmly in protecting our Second Amendment rights. But common-sense changes can go a long way in keeping our streets and our schools safer -- and there's too much at stake to stand by and wait for action. The President will not wait. Yesterday, he signed 23 executive actions to start moving our country in the right d...

Robert L., Just a few moments ago,  President Obama  announced his plans to curb gun violence. The president has shown he is prepared to take meaningful steps to try and prevent the nearly 34 deaths that occur every single day due to senseless gun violence. But he cannot do it alone; Congress has to do its part. I am pleased the president will fight for a measure I wrote in 2009 that cracks down on the trafficking of illegal guns. When we pass this legislation, gun trafficking will be defined as a federal crime for the first time, and stiff penalties will allow law enforcement to stop the daily flow of illegal weapons on our streets from out of state. His plan also includes several of the initiatives I strongly support, such as an assault weapons ban, universal background checks and limits on high-capacity magazines. We have to prevent mass tragedies. We cannot accept daily shootings on our streets. The president’s proposals will help save lives, but only if they ar...

Robert -- Republicans in Congress have already introduced several bills to limit a woman's ability to make her own health decisions -- all in the first 48 hours of the new session. Blatantly ignoring a clear message from voters in the 2012 elections, they hope to:     -- Block Planned Parenthood from receiving federal funds for family planning     -- Ban all abortions even in case of rape and incest, and possibly go as far as banning some forms of birth control and in vitro fertilization     -- Repeal Obamacare Here's where you come in. We need to fight back immediately, and you can make sure Democrats have the resources to do it. Will you donate $5 or more today? As a woman, cancer survivor, and mother -- and as a Democrat who has fought tooth and nail on these issues -- I'm absolutely incensed over these latest attacks on women's health. And I'm not going to sit back and watch while Republicans try to take away our rights....

Robert L., The only way to respond to the unspeakable horror that occurred in Newtown, Connecticut, is to act. The ready availability of assault weapons is what helped make many of these recent shootings so appallingly deadly. They have no place in civil society—no place in our schools, shopping malls or city streets. That’s why I’m working with colleagues in the House and Senate to pass the Assault Weapons Ban. We’ve launched a new online campaign at  NoMoreAssaultWeapons.com , so we can gather support for this bill. By adding your name today, you’ll help us counter the powerful gun lobby and finally get this important law passed. The bill is being introduced this month. We have to act. If there was ever a time when enacting effective gun control legislation was possible, it’s now. Please join us today. Add your name to our petition calling on members of the House and Senate to pass the Assault Weapons Ban immediately. Tell Congress you won’t tolerate any more stallin...

robert, We saw some truly amazing moments at yesterday's swearing-in ceremonies on Capitol Hill. House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi gathered her Democratic women's caucus -- now 60 strong -- on the Capitol steps. And how about watching Tammy Baldwin, Mazie Hirono, and Elizabeth Warren join an historic number of women in the Senate? What the  New York Times  called a "serious display of XX-chromosome strength" we call inspiring and beautiful. Just see for yourself -- we've gathered photos from the day's festivities for you. Click here to see: emilyslist.org/swearinginphotos . These are the memories you helped make. These are the women you helped elect. And these are the images that will inspire millions of girls in the months and years to come to say, "Yes, that could be me one day." Thank you from the bottom of my heart for making this incredible day possible. Because of you, we've elected true fighters for women and families, and I can...