One of the stanzas of the Negro National Anthem written by James Weldon Johnson says:
"We have come over a way that with tears has been watered. We have come, treading our path through the blood of the slaughtered"
In the towering shadows of the earlier "Occupy Wall Street" Movement and that of the current "Black Lives Matter" movement, the Clinton-Sanders Democratic Party Primary campaigns reflect a political struggle for the "Soul" of the National Democratic Party. The initial successful election and then reelection of Barack Obama to the presidency of the United States provides a template of the coalition of those voter demographics and profiles essential for a successful Democratic Presidential victory in November.
Stripped of all the verbiage and respective candidates' political campaign slogans, the contest between Sanders and Clinton is fundamentally a battle between the Clinton Washington "government in exile," and the progressive insurgency challenge to that "government." Some members of the leadership of the current Clinton Presidential campaign were also members of the Obama administration and as well as former leaders of Hillary Clinton's failed 2008 election bid against Obama.
Members of the Washington, DC Clinton "government in exile" now part of Hillary Clinton's second attempt to become President are aggressively soliciting the African-American and Hispanic component of the successful Obama voter coalition. In this connection, it is important to remember certain historical and political characteristics of today's African-American voting electorate.
For example, several of today's "Establishment Negroes" were "Progressives" during the earlier 1960s Civil Rights "revolution." Certain earlier "Negro Progressives" remain so today.
When these formerly progressive Negroes of the 1960s, who have now become part of the "Establishment", were working to make systemic changes in our criminal justice system and expanding economic and educational opportunities for all Americans years ago, I don't recall their proposals being summarily dismissed or criticized because they were then estimated to be "too expensive" to enact.
I am proud to see my beloved brother and comrade Harry Belafonte, THE conscience of the entertainment industry during our Civil Rights Movement, and close colleague of Dr. King, recently indicate his support for Senator Bernie Sanders's campaign for President of the United States
The contest between Sanders and Hillary Clinton for votes in the Primary States of South Carolina and Nevada has prompted both campaigns to publicly present their current respective African-American supporters. As a general proposition, the Clinton campaign has enlisted the support of several "Establishment" African-Americans to remind voters that years ago, they and Clinton worked together in support of the Civil Rights Movement.
By contrast implication, the many years of consistent work and support by Bernie Sanders for civil rights and other issues relevant to African-Americans have been and are subordinated or diminished as not deserving of African-American voter support in key early primary contests like Nevada and South Carolina
What is poignant and painful to hear and watch is these formerly Progressive African-Americans, now a part of the "Establishment", embrace the Establishment mantra that dismisses innovative proposals for affordable college education and expanded and reduced cost of health care as being too "expensive" to enact and having no rational economic foundation "in the real world" of our national government
This is being done without any sense of shame or regret on the part of "Establishment" African-Americans who support Hillary Clinton.
As the dates of the Nevada and South Carolina primaries draw closer it is important to the remember the political election wisdom of A. Phillip Randolph, the legendary African-American labor and Civil Rights leader of the 20th Century. He reminded us, that in elections, African-Americans have no permanent enemies or permanent friends, only permanent political and economic interests
Members of the Washington Clinton "Government in Exile," now active members of the 2nd Clinton for President campaign would like for potential African primary voters in South Carolina, particularly, to forget and not heed the advice of A. Phillip Randolph.