The lead organizer of Black Lives Matter Global Network recently accused President-elect Joe Biden of taking advantage of the BLM movement and its ongoing drive.
Dr. Melina Abdullah, lead organizer of the Black Lives Matter Los Angeles chapter, said, “[Biden] capitalized on our efforts to defund the police, and then tried to condemn the words at the same time.”
The comments were made last Tuesday morning, while Abdullah was protesting outside of the residence of Democratic Mayor Eric Garcetti. Said protest is first in the series of demonstrations aimed to destroy Garcetti’s chances for a cabinet position.
Black Lives Matter Leader Says Joe Biden ‘Capitalized On Our Efforts To Defund The Police’ https://t.co/cBDfmsApsz Pres Trump is the ONLY president- that push for meaningful reform in the black community. Biden and the Dems- lied – to get votes (like they always do to ‘grab power
— Dr. Carolyn Koos (@KoosCarolyn) November 29, 2020
During the campaign period, Garcetti worked as the national co-chair of Biden’s presidential campaign. He is also rumored to be appointed as head of either the Transportation Department or the US Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Although many BLM leaders were outspoken about their support for Joe Biden’s candidacy, some still consider him a flawed statesman who is unwilling to go for meaningful reforms that, according to the movement, would significantly improve the lives of black people.
Abdullah said, “We want to be very clear that as we happily usher out the Trump regime, we will not accept liberal white supremacy in the White House in the form of Joe Biden.”
She continued by saying that it does not matter to her if Kamala Harris is Biden’s Vice President if Biden is using Kamala’s “black woman body to usher in oppressive systems and oppressive people like Eric Garcetti.”
In addition to this, Abdullah also stated that the President-elect would be building liberal white supremacy with Garcetti’s appointment. She also accused the mayor of criminalizing Los Angeles’ homeless population while maintaining that Garcetti has been over supportive of an abusive LAPD.
BLM leaders believe that law enforcement agencies are formed to preserve the capitalist social order in the country, which according to them, “historically benefitted white people,” and in turn becomes the root cause of police violence against black people.
The BLM movement plan includes gradual shifting of the public safety responsibilities and funding away from police departments. The funds will then be reallocated to new services they believe are “centered around meeting people’s universal needs.” Including among those is access to nutritious food, housing, and healthcare.
Earlier this month, BLM executive director Patrisse Cullors’ meeting request with Biden and Harris was also ignored. The meeting was supposedly meant to discuss the BLM’s priorities and expectations.
Cullors wrote in a letter, “In short, Black people won this election. We want something for our vote.”
BLM co-founder sends message to Biden:’We want something for our vote'|Shameful Americans should have realized that Biden was bought & paid for,now domestic terrorist will have a role in our government.Are you regretting your vote for Biden yet?You should! https://t.co/6z2i1J4Ewd
— Rachel (@GoldnemovesGold) November 21, 2020
She continued by saying that “Black people can neither afford to live through the vitriol of a Trump-like Presidency nor through the indifference of a Democrat-controlled government that refuses to wrestle with its most egregious and damnable shame.”
At the end of the letter, Cullors referred to Biden and Harris’ records of previous support to tough-on-crime policies. These policies are said to have contributed to the mass incarceration of black people.
While doing his campaign for Presidency, Joe Biden said he made a “mistake” when he sponsored the 1994 crime bill, which was signed by President Bill Clinton. The 1994 crime bill assigned more cops in black neighborhoods and incentivized states to build more prisons.
Biden has spent his political career advocating a lock-them-up approach that feeds mass incarceration and overpolicing. @BernieSanders has been willing to get to the root of the issue…providing for people’s needs reduces crime. #ReimaginePublicSafety #NotMeUs https://t.co/fazql8NZ6k
— Melina Abdullah (@DocMellyMel) March 7, 2020
On the other hand, Harris pledged to correct allegedly racist policies in the criminal justice system, despite the fact that she has been serving 27 years as a prosecutor and enforcing some of these harsh sentencing laws.
Up to this day, Cullors has yet received any response from Biden and Harris.
While BLM organization nationwide views Joe Biden as a better alternative to President Trump, the organization has lower expectations from Biden in helping them achieve their ultimate goal.
One leading scholar even compared Joe Biden to “the kind of superficial and ineffective procedural reforms that the Obama administration proposed.”
Dr. Abdullah said, “We know that we had to protest Donald Trump, we had to get Donald Trump out, we have to protest blatant white supremacy, but we have to remember that there’s a lot of liberal white supremacists.”
