theroot--2020-12-17--From Hellhole to Hotspot: Accounts Inside the D.C. Jail During COVID-19 Reveal a Perfect Storm of Sq

From Hellhole to Hotspot: Accounts Inside the D.C. Jail During COVID-19 Reveal a Perfect Storm of Squalor and Neglect

“ I was coughing up blood for two days this week , ” M said .
“ I have not seen a doctor .
I have been telling sick call but they just walk past me.
” M , held at the District of Columbia jail , was describing his life behind bars as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold .
M ’ s written statement is one of several submitted to the federal District Court in D.C. in a lawsuit filed in March by the Public Defender Service and ACLU of D.C. against the D.C. Department of Corrections ( DOC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of violations in the jail , including substandard medical care , abysmal sanitation , failure to conduct proper testing , and lack of basic protective gear and social distancing measures .
Located less than two miles east of the U.S. Capitol and Supreme Court , on a stretch of Anacostia riverfront long eyed hungrily by real estate developers , the D.C .
Jail stands as a monument to the persistent racial and economic inequities of the capital city and the nation it represents .
D.C. has a higher incarceration rate than any state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Oklahoma , Louisiana , and Mississippi .
And while the District has grown both whiter and richer , the population of the jail has remained close to 90 percent Black and mostly poor .
This means the health risks posed by the jail ’ s horrific conditions are compounded by underlying racial disparities in the impact of COVID-19 , which make African Americans three times more likely to contract the virus and two times more likely to die from it .
The ACLU and Public Defenders found that conditions in the jail led @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus , which has so far infected hundreds of people and killed one incarcerated person and one correctional officer .
Their complaint states that when the virus hit the jail , DOC staff had “ no masks , insufficient gloves , no gowns , no disinfectants , and no comprehensive cleaning occurs on a regular basis.
” One of the plaintiffs ’ investigating doctors found that the jail was “ dangerously under-equipped and ill-prepared to prevent and manage a COVID-19 outbreak , which would result in severe harm to detained individuals , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ broader community.
” G , who has a job in the jail ’ s kitchen , reported that other kitchen workers kept coughing and one showed flu-like symptoms , but they continued to work without being seen by sick call or the infirmary .
“ If I tell a CO [ correctional officer ] that I am too sick to go to work , I am told to go to work anyway , ” he wrote in a statement .
“ We are forced to work sick or we face punishment.
” According @ @ @ @ @ @ @ medical care , incarcerated people who tested positive for the virus were locked in a solitary confinement unit with no emergency buttons and often several hours between staff rounds .
The situation was so bad that the correctional officers union , fearing for their members ’ own safety , filed an amicus brief in support of the prisoner lawsuit .
In an April press conference , Corporal Jannease Johnson , who has worked for the DOC for 29 years , said , “ I can say that without exception , these are the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The DOC has not reported accurately the number of infected inmates ... Management has left the staff and inmates to become infected , sick and/or die.
” Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly responded by appointing experts to inspect the jail , and she concluded , in mid-April , that the DOC had exposed incarcerated people to an “ unreasonable risk ” of damage to their health and shown “ deliberate indifference ” to their health and safety .
She ordered the jail to implement emergency measures to combat the virus outbreak , including improved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , humane conditions in the isolation unit , and confidential legal calls .
But by mid-May , the number of infections at the jail had increased 25-fold , to more than 180 , and the rate of infection was 13 times higher than in the District as a whole .
The court ’ s experts found that incarcerated people were waiting days for medical attention , even when they reported serious symptoms including fever and shortness of breath .
In June , the judge issued a preliminary injunction demanding swift action , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ already improved the conditions sufficiently .
The judge declined to order the release of any individuals held at the jail—a move that is by far the most effective at controlling contagion , and one that has been taken by jails in many other cities .
She did direct the U.S .
Marshal Service and U.S. Parole Commission to come up with a detailed plan for reducing the jail population , with a deadline of July 1 .
More than five months later , a plan has yet to be completed .
While the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ problems outlined in the lawsuit continue to plague the facility .
Steven Marcus , staff attorney in the Public Defender Service ’ s Special Litigation Division , said that a resident who called him in early October reported being provided with just one disposable paper mask in “ a couple of weeks ...
He ’ s been asking for a new one , but they haven ’ t given it to him.
” In early December , Marcus said that attorneys had observed in clients ’ online hearings some staff not wearing masks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ While the jail administration set up an ad-hoc testing operation in the jail parking lot , staff were not required to get tested .
From the tests that were conducted , the number of staff infected with the virus has risen in the first weeks of December .
Barred from in-person visits , the Defenders must now rely on sporadic phone and video calls with their clients .
Overall , Marcus said , he is still hearing “ really disturbing reports about sanitation conditions .
On a couple of the housing units , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t have access to cleaning supplies.
” As of mid-December , the DOC has failed to appoint a sanitation expert , as ordered by the court .
Mustafa Zulu , who survived COVID-19 while in jail , agrees that little has changed .
“ This joint was fertile ground for the coronavirus because it was filthy in the first place , ” he said in an interview .
By the time any precautions at all were taken , “ It already done spread .
And it spread like wildfire.
” In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , many of the people held in D.C. ’ s jail—then located in Judiciary Square—were slaves , some runaways and some sent to the jail by their owners for “ safekeeping.
” The first jail on the current site was opened in 1872 and was still in use in 1972 , a year after the Attica rebellion , when incarcerated people took over the jail and held twelve staff members hostage , including the District ’ s corrections commissioner .
That uprising ended peacefully when negotiators agreed to let a group of incarcerated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who would later rule that the jail violated the 8th Amendment ’ s ban on cruel and unusual punishment .
“ These conditions simply are not to be tolerated in a civilized society , much less in our national capital , ” the judge wrote , citing the jail ’ s overcrowded , vermin-infested cells , neglect of people with mental illness , and lack of recreation or family visits .
“ These are conditions which turn men into animals , conditions which degrade and dehumanize .
In some senses the punishment they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the stocks or the rack , long since discarded as barbaric or primitive.
” A new jail building opened in 1976 , but was overcrowded from the start , and the jail continued to be plagued with violence , drug-trading , unsanitary conditions , medical neglect , staff abuse , and what its inhabitants labeled “ mayhem.
” Dominic Stewart , who is now in federal prison but was a juvenile in the D.C .
Jail in the 1990s , recalled that things were so bad that an officer told him , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how to fight.
” “ Many men , adults , hanged themselves in [ the jail ’ s ] lockdown unit , ” he wrote in an account of his time there .
“ They could not take it , it was 24 hours of lunacy .
The screams from the mentally ill who banged on their wall with their desk stool .
The feces thrown ...
The screams of prisoners getting raped , beat up , crying.
” In 1997 , the District closed its only prison , in Lorton , Virginia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ convicted of felonies to the federal Bureau of Prisons ( BOP ) , to be dispersed among the 122 federal prisons across the country .
The D.C .
Jail still holds people who are in federal custody , awaiting hearings or transfer by the U.S .
Marshals Service .
Others have been picked up on parole violations or convicted of misdemeanors or low-level felonies .
But many are being held pre-trial , and are legally innocent .
Over the years , the jail has floundered through one reform effort after another with little @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s budget has steadily increased .
Five years ago , a special investigation by the Washington Lawyers ’ Committee for Civil Rights ( WLC ) resulted in a scathing report on the D.C .
Jail , including its crumbling and squalid physical conditions , inadequate mental health care , and harsh treatment of incarcerated youth .
The report concluded that the jail facilities were unsalvageable and should be razed .
But the WLC criticized subsequent proposals for a new jail , which would be better but also larger , for its failure “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ D.C. ’ s legacy of over-policing , over-incarcerating and dehumanizing its most vulnerable community members ” —a problem that would not be solved by “ build [ ing ] hundreds of pristine cages.
” The D.C .
Jail also has a history of excessively using solitary confinement .
A DOC memo on the use of restrictive housing reported that in 2017 , nine percent of people were held in solitary at any given moment .
And in 2018 , eight percent of people were held in solitary .
This is roughly three times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ solitary in jails across the country , according to a Bureau of Justice Statistics report released in 2015 .
All that was before coronavirus infected the jail , turning a hellhole into a Covid-19 hotspot .
Mustafa Zulu was being held in the D.C .
Jail awaiting transfer in April when he caught the virus and is still there .
In a phone call , Zulu described the medical isolation unit at the jail as a “ madhouse ” where people struggled to keep alive with little to no medical attention .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a day , given a measly half an hour outside of his cell in the middle of the night , and fed half-cooked hot dogs , “ nasty ” macaroni and cheese , and mushy mystery meat the incarcerated men call the “ gulag.
” In response to COVID-19 , local governments across the country reduced their jail populations by an average of 30 percent between March and May 2020 , according to the Prison Policy Initiative .
They achieved this by reducing arrests and prosecutions , loosening bail policies , and releasing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or nearing the end of their sentences .
The D.C.
Jail ’ s population initially fell from 1,739 in March to 1,260 in June .
But In July , the numbers had already begun to climb again , and by the end of November , the population reached nearly 1,500 .
The Vera Institute of Justice reported that “ D.C .
lags behind decarceration efforts in other cities , ” including San Francisco , where the jail incarceration rate is half that of D.C , and New York , where the rate is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blame went to the federal government , which holds the power to both approve jail releases and reduce new admissions .
A brief filed in the lawsuit asserted that the U.S. Parole Commission continued to detain people on minor technical violations who presented no danger to public safety , while the U.S .
Marshal Service ’ s actions actually “ resulted in additional incarceration and the further spread of COVID-19.
” According to the Public Defenders ’ Steven Marcus , as many as 150 people from the D.C .
Jail were not released @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Marshals to other prisons , including a privately-run prison in Tutwiler , Mississippi , that was the site of a rampant Coronavirus infection .
That prison , the Tallahatchie County Correctional Facility , is owned and run by CoreCivic , the largest private prison corporation in the United States .
CoreCivic ( then known as Corrections Corporation of America ) previously ran part of the D.C .
Jail and was ousted only after an intense struggle by advocates .
The transport to Mississippi alone was a nightmare , according to declarations by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Donnell Howard , a 51-year-old from D.C. , wrote in a statement , “ When I left D.C .
Jail , they put me on a bus .
About 32 other people were on the bus with me .
Some of the people were coughing .
The bus was packed .
Every seat was full.
” Howard said he was not tested for the coronavirus before leaving the jail .
At Dulles Airport , according to Howard , the 32 of them were loaded onto the same plane .
“ U.S .
Marshals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the plane , ” he said .
“ The marshals were not wearing masks.
” Nor were the other marshals that ushered them off the plane in Tennessee for the drive to Mississippi , or the staff at the Tallahatchie facility .
Howard said he was never tested for the coronavirus at Tallahatchie , but was told he would remain at the prison for a 14-day quarantine period ; instead , he was there for months .
Twenty-year-old James Guillory also testified that the U.S .
Marshals were not wearing masks .
One @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was chewing tobacco and spitting into a bottle , ” he said .
“ The same marshal then directed us where to sit on the plane .
When he got on the plane with us , he was still not wearing a mask .
He was still chewing tobacco and spitting into the bottle on the plane.
” At Tallahatchie , Guillory said , “ The CCA staff directed us all to go into the cells .
They tried to put fifteen to twenty people in each cell ...
When the men refused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CCA brought in their SORT team , which is like an ERT team or a SWAT team .
The SORT team had paintball guns but the guns had mace in them .
They are pepper ball guns .
The SORT team threatened to shoot anyone who didn ’ t go into the cell .
Everyone went into the cells when the SORT team got there.
” The Tallahatchie County Correctional Facility has also held individuals for the Mississippi , South Carolina , Vermont , and Wyoming DOCs .
In August , local news @ @ @ @ @ @ @ incarcerated men from Vermont at Tallahatchie had tested positive for the coronavirus , and many were complaining of inadequate medical care .
The transfer of individuals from the D.C .
Jail to Mississippi was never reported by the media .
Since it happened , the men from D.C. have been dispersed to other federal facilities , and the U.S .
Marshals have ended their contract with the Tallahatchie facility , replacing it with another CoreCivic transfer center in Oklahoma .
In a news conference on March 31 , Mayor Muriel Bowser said , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is our expectation and what we will confirm with jail staff that we are following every safety and health protocol with the cleaning of the jail.
” On June 1 , D.C. Councilmember Charles Allen held a budget oversight hearing where DOC Director Quincy Booth testified under oath .
Booth declared , “ DOC prides itself on continually ensuring the public safety of the District residents is provided by a safe , orderly , and humane environment for its residents who are entrusted in our custody.
” Booth went on to commend the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ partners for helping to “ mitigate the spread of the virus ” at the jail and following “ the best and promising practices and us [ ing ] data to inform our decisions to keep the residents and staff in our care safe.
” He mentioned , “ enhanced cleaning to their cells , as well as the whole housing units , coupled with out-of-cell time that allowed them the opportunity to connect with their loved ones , ” as well as comprehensive information about the virus provided by medical staff and “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Booth also praised the private company , Unity Health Care , that provides medical services at the jail , saying that any incarcerated person who experiences COVID symptoms can put in a sick call and “ one of the Unity staff members will immediately , within the day come down and provide testing for them as well.
” Both incarcerated people and correctional officers provided a very different picture of the jail during the pandemic .
In an April 1 press conference hosted by the correctional officers ’ union , Corporal Benjamin Olubasusi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( PPE ) is not being provided to our staff .
Social distancing is actively discouraged.
” Olubasusi said staff ’ s requests for PPE were continually ignored , and DOC leadership “ refused to participate in a daily conference call to address the crisis and to hear our input.
” Olubasusi recalled a conversation with Mayor Bowser , in which she threatened him with criminal prosecution if he “ left the jail ” or encouraged his co-workers to do so .
He said , “ The leaders are now leaving us to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ press , “ Management directs cleaning staff to only clean the management areas in the facility , ” but not the areas where incarcerated people live .
“ We have not seen the director in the building in about two to three weeks now , ” she said .
“ He ’ s staying away from D.C .
Jail and CTF .
That ’ s very unusual .
[ Normally ] he ’ s over here , the deputy director is over here on a regular basis ... Now , we don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t think they ’ re here because I don ’ t think they want to be contaminated with the COVID-19 virus .
They are afraid to come to the facilities.
” In a rare acknowledgment of common interest and common fate , Olubasusi said , “ Inmates are not being protected , officers are not being protected .
If they are not safe , then we are not safe either .
Our families are not safe either.
” G , a man held at the jail , described the signage Booth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up in our unit that describe COVID-19 .
The signs do not tell us what the symptoms are .
The signs tell us not to spread misinformation about COVID , but the signs do not give us the correct information we should know.
” Fifty-year-old Eric Smith , who was held in jail during the pandemic , wrote in a declaration , “ It takes days before anyone can get medical staff to come see them , even if you say you are having trouble breathing.
” Another man wrote , “ If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I will not be seen by sick call for two to three days.
” Kamal Dorchy , 46 , recalled a “ new policy ” introduced in March for handling the coronavirus .
“ The new policy was that inmates were not allowed hand sanitizer .
There were hand sanitizer dispensers mounted on the walls .
They were taken down and given to COs. ” Soon after , a lieutenant announced “ that we would be restricted to our cells 23.5 hours per day , ” Dorchy wrote .
“ A lot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cellmates .
There is no sink in my cell and no toilet in my cell.
” People at the jail complained that the food and drinks provided by subcontractor Summit Food Service were inedible and contaminated .
An anonymous man wrote , “ The food they bring us from the jail is cold and the milk is spoiled and not kept on ice .
I am afraid that if I drink the milk I will get sick.
” Smith said , “ Every day they bring a big cooler of juice for people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long inmates dip their cups into the top of the juice cooler to get ice out of it .
If anyone on our unit has the virus , all of us either already [ has ] it or will get it soon.
” Mustafa Zulu believes that “ many more people , many more inmates caught the coronavirus than it is on record .
Whatever the numbers they ’ re saying it is , it ’ s probably almost double that.
” He says people have often hidden their symptoms for fear of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A lot of guys just didn ’ t want to go to isolation .
They already had heard what was going on down there .
They were just taking us and throwing us in a cell.
” Zulu now thinks he would have been better off if he had not reported his symptoms , and had treated himself in the regular housing unit .
Locked in the North 2 isolation block with no emergency buttons , “ There ain ’ t nobody to call , ain ’ t nobody to yell to .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ building… [ If you pass out and ] none of them happen to be around , then you ’ re fucked.
” Dorchy testified , “ There are not enough medical supplies to go around if we are all left in here.
” As someone with fragile health , he said , “ I am afraid that I will die in [ here ] .
I am preparing for my death ... Other people have told me they are afraid they will die in here if no one helps us .
People need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the founder and co-director of Solitary Watch , a watchdog group that investigates and documents the use of solitary confinement in U.S. prisons and jails .
He was a long-time political reporter for the Village Voice .
Follow him on Twitter .
Valerie Kiebala is an editorial manager and staff writer for Solitary Watch .
Her work has also appeared in Truthout , the Chicago Reporter , and Shadowproof .
Follow her work on Solitary Watch on Twitter .
Lawrence Ukenye is a sophomore journalism and political science double major at Temple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the Temple News and has a passion for political journalism and videography .
He can be reached at lawrence.ukenye @ temple.edu .

Valerie Kiebala, James Ridgeway and Lawrence Ukenye

“I was coughing up blood for two days this week,” M said. “I have not seen a doctor. I have been telling sick call but they just walk past me.” M, held at the District of Columbia jail, was describing his life behind bars as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold.
M’s written statement is one of several submitted to the federal District Court in D.C. in a lawsuit filed in March by the Public Defender Service and ACLU of D.C. against the D.C. Department of Corrections (DOC). The complaint cites a range of violations in the jail, including substandard medical care, abysmal sanitation, failure to conduct proper testing, and lack of basic protective gear and social distancing measures.
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Located less than two miles east of the U.S. Capitol and Supreme Court, on a stretch of Anacostia riverfront long eyed hungrily by real estate developers, the D.C. Jail stands as a monument to the persistent racial and economic inequities of the capital city and the nation it represents. D.C. has a higher incarceration rate than any state in the union, outpacing nearest rivals Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Mississippi. And while the District has grown both whiter and richer, the population of the jail has remained close to 90 percent Black and mostly poor. This means the health risks posed by the jail’s horrific conditions are compounded by underlying racial disparities in the impact of COVID-19, which make African Americans three times more likely to contract the virus and two times more likely to die from it.
The ACLU and Public Defenders found that conditions in the jail led to an “exponential” spread of the coronavirus, which has so far infected hundreds of people and killed one incarcerated person and one correctional officer. Their complaint states that when the virus hit the jail, DOC staff had “no masks, insufficient gloves, no gowns, no disinfectants, and no comprehensive cleaning occurs on a regular basis.”
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One of the plaintiffs’ investigating doctors found that the jail was “dangerously under-equipped and ill-prepared to prevent and manage a COVID-19 outbreak, which would result in severe harm to detained individuals, jail and prison staff, and the broader community.”
G, who has a job in the jail’s kitchen, reported that other kitchen workers kept coughing and one showed flu-like symptoms, but they continued to work without being seen by sick call or the infirmary. “If I tell a CO [correctional officer] that I am too sick to go to work, I am told to go to work anyway,” he wrote in a statement. “We are forced to work sick or we face punishment.”
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According to the complaint, instead of receiving medical care, incarcerated people who tested positive for the virus were locked in a solitary confinement unit with no emergency buttons and often several hours between staff rounds.
The situation was so bad that the correctional officers union, fearing for their members’ own safety, filed an amicus brief in support of the prisoner lawsuit. In an April press conference, Corporal Jannease Johnson, who has worked for the DOC for 29 years, said, “I can say that without exception, these are the absolute worst conditions I have ever experienced. The DOC has not reported accurately the number of infected inmates...Management has left the staff and inmates to become infected, sick and/or die.”
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Chaos in the Big House
Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly responded by appointing experts to inspect the jail, and she concluded, in mid-April, that the DOC had exposed incarcerated people to an “unreasonable risk” of damage to their health and shown “deliberate indifference” to their health and safety. She ordered the jail to implement emergency measures to combat the virus outbreak, including improved medical care and sanitation, adequate testing, humane conditions in the isolation unit, and confidential legal calls.
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But by mid-May, the number of infections at the jail had increased 25-fold, to more than 180, and the rate of infection was 13 times higher than in the District as a whole. The court’s experts found that incarcerated people were waiting days for medical attention, even when they reported serious symptoms including fever and shortness of breath. In June, the judge issued a preliminary injunction demanding swift action, but the DOC appealed, claiming it had already improved the conditions sufficiently.
“I can say that without exception, these are the absolute worst conditions I have ever experienced. The DOC has not reported accurately the number of infected inmates...Management has left the staff and inmates to become infected, sick and/or die.”
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The judge declined to order the release of any individuals held at the jail—a move that is by far the most effective at controlling contagion, and one that has been taken by jails in many other cities. She did direct the U.S. Marshal Service and U.S. Parole Commission to come up with a detailed plan for reducing the jail population, with a deadline of July 1. More than five months later, a plan has yet to be completed.
While the legal process grinds on, the dire problems outlined in the lawsuit continue to plague the facility. Steven Marcus, staff attorney in the Public Defender Service’s Special Litigation Division, said that a resident who called him in early October reported being provided with just one disposable paper mask in “a couple of weeks...He’s been asking for a new one, but they haven’t given it to him.”
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In early December, Marcus said that attorneys had observed in clients’ online hearings some staff not wearing masks or wearing them below the chin. While the jail administration set up an ad-hoc testing operation in the jail parking lot, staff were not required to get tested. From the tests that were conducted, the number of staff infected with the virus has risen in the first weeks of December.
Barred from in-person visits, the Defenders must now rely on sporadic phone and video calls with their clients. Overall, Marcus said, he is still hearing “really disturbing reports about sanitation conditions. On a couple of the housing units, in particular, it seems like they don’t have access to cleaning supplies.” As of mid-December, the DOC has failed to appoint a sanitation expert, as ordered by the court.
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Mustafa Zulu, who survived COVID-19 while in jail, agrees that little has changed. “This joint was fertile ground for the coronavirus because it was filthy in the first place,” he said in an interview. By the time any precautions at all were taken, “It already done spread. And it spread like wildfire.”
“Conditions That Turn Men Into Animals”
In its early days before the Civil War, many of the people held in D.C.’s jail—then located in Judiciary Square—were slaves, some runaways and some sent to the jail by their owners for “safekeeping.” The first jail on the current site was opened in 1872 and was still in use in 1972, a year after the Attica rebellion, when incarcerated people took over the jail and held twelve staff members hostage, including the District’s corrections commissioner.
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That uprising ended peacefully when negotiators agreed to let a group of incarcerated men meet with a federal judge, who would later rule that the jail violated the 8th Amendment’s ban on cruel and unusual punishment. “These conditions simply are not to be tolerated in a civilized society, much less in our national capital,” the judge wrote, citing the jail’s overcrowded, vermin-infested cells, neglect of people with mental illness, and lack of recreation or family visits. “These are conditions which turn men into animals, conditions which degrade and dehumanize. In some senses the punishment they inflict is more painful and enduring than the stocks or the rack, long since discarded as barbaric or primitive.”
A new jail building opened in 1976, but was overcrowded from the start, and the jail continued to be plagued with violence, drug-trading, unsanitary conditions, medical neglect, staff abuse, and what its inhabitants labeled “mayhem.”
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“This joint was fertile ground for the coronavirus because it was filthy in the first place.” By the time any precautions at all were taken, “It already done spread. And it spread like wildfire.”
Dominic Stewart, who is now in federal prison but was a juvenile in the D.C. Jail in the 1990s, recalled that things were so bad that an officer told him, “You better get a knife or know how to fight.” “Many men, adults, hanged themselves in [the jail’s] lockdown unit,” he wrote in an account of his time there. “They could not take it, it was 24 hours of lunacy. The screams from the mentally ill who banged on their wall with their desk stool. The feces thrown...The screams of prisoners getting raped, beat up, crying.”
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In 1997, the District closed its only prison, in Lorton, Virginia, and signed over control of residents convicted of felonies to the federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), to be dispersed among the 122 federal prisons across the country. The D.C. Jail still holds people who are in federal custody, awaiting hearings or transfer by the U.S. Marshals Service. Others have been picked up on parole violations or convicted of misdemeanors or low-level felonies. But many are being held pre-trial, and are legally innocent.
Over the years, the jail has floundered through one reform effort after another with little real change, though the DOC’s budget has steadily increased. Five years ago, a special investigation by the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights (WLC) resulted in a scathing report on the D.C. Jail, including its crumbling and squalid physical conditions, inadequate mental health care, and harsh treatment of incarcerated youth.
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The report concluded that the jail facilities were unsalvageable and should be razed. But the WLC criticized subsequent proposals for a new jail, which would be better but also larger, for its failure “to address a more enduring problem: D.C.’s legacy of over-policing, over-incarcerating and dehumanizing its most vulnerable community members”—a problem that would not be solved by “build[ing] hundreds of pristine cages.”
The D.C. Jail also has a history of excessively using solitary confinement. A DOC memo on the use of restrictive housing reported that in 2017, nine percent of people were held in solitary at any given moment. And in 2018, eight percent of people were held in solitary. This is roughly three times the national average of people held in solitary in jails across the country, according to a Bureau of Justice Statistics report released in 2015.
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All that was before coronavirus infected the jail, turning a hellhole into a Covid-19 hotspot. Mustafa Zulu was being held in the D.C. Jail awaiting transfer in April when he caught the virus and is still there. In a phone call, Zulu described the medical isolation unit at the jail as a “madhouse” where people struggled to keep alive with little to no medical attention. He was held in solitary confinement 23 hours a day, given a measly half an hour outside of his cell in the middle of the night, and fed half-cooked hot dogs, “nasty” macaroni and cheese, and mushy mystery meat the incarcerated men call the “gulag.”
Heading South
In response to COVID-19, local governments across the country reduced their jail populations by an average of 30 percent between March and May 2020, according to the Prison Policy Initiative. They achieved this by reducing arrests and prosecutions, loosening bail policies, and releasing people accused or convicted of low-level crimes or nearing the end of their sentences.
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The D.C. Jail’s population initially fell from 1,739 in March to 1,260 in June. But In July, the numbers had already begun to climb again, and by the end of November, the population reached nearly 1,500. The Vera Institute of Justice reported that “D.C. lags behind decarceration efforts in other cities,” including San Francisco, where the jail incarceration rate is half that of D.C, and New York, where the rate is four times lower.
Much of the blame went to the federal government, which holds the power to both approve jail releases and reduce new admissions. A brief filed in the lawsuit asserted that the U.S. Parole Commission continued to detain people on minor technical violations who presented no danger to public safety, while the U.S. Marshal Service’s actions actually “resulted in additional incarceration and the further spread of COVID-19.”
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“When I left D.C. Jail, they put me on a bus. About 32 other people were on the bus with me. Some of the people were coughing. The bus was packed. Every seat was full.”
According to the Public Defenders’ Steven Marcus, as many as 150 people from the D.C. Jail were not released, but simply transferred by the U.S. Marshals to other prisons, including a privately-run prison in Tutwiler, Mississippi, that was the site of a rampant Coronavirus infection.
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That prison, the Tallahatchie County Correctional Facility, is owned and run by CoreCivic, the largest private prison corporation in the United States. CoreCivic (then known as Corrections Corporation of America) previously ran part of the D.C. Jail and was ousted only after an intense struggle by advocates.
The transport to Mississippi alone was a nightmare, according to declarations by incarcerated men filed with the court. Donnell Howard, a 51-year-old from D.C., wrote in a statement, “When I left D.C. Jail, they put me on a bus. About 32 other people were on the bus with me. Some of the people were coughing. The bus was packed. Every seat was full.” Howard said he was not tested for the coronavirus before leaving the jail.
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At Dulles Airport, according to Howard, the 32 of them were loaded onto the same plane. “U.S. Marshals patted us down before we got on the plane,” he said. “The marshals were not wearing masks.” Nor were the other marshals that ushered them off the plane in Tennessee for the drive to Mississippi, or the staff at the Tallahatchie facility.
Howard said he was never tested for the coronavirus at Tallahatchie, but was told he would remain at the prison for a 14-day quarantine period; instead, he was there for months.
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Twenty-year-old James Guillory also testified that the U.S. Marshals were not wearing masks. One marshal escorting people onto the plane “was chewing tobacco and spitting into a bottle,” he said. “The same marshal then directed us where to sit on the plane. When he got on the plane with us, he was still not wearing a mask. He was still chewing tobacco and spitting into the bottle on the plane.”
At Tallahatchie, Guillory said, “The CCA staff directed us all to go into the cells. They tried to put fifteen to twenty people in each cell...When the men refused to go into the crowded cells, CCA brought in their SORT team, which is like an ERT team or a SWAT team. The SORT team had paintball guns but the guns had mace in them. They are pepper ball guns. The SORT team threatened to shoot anyone who didn’t go into the cell. Everyone went into the cells when the SORT team got there.”
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The Tallahatchie County Correctional Facility has also held individuals for the Mississippi, South Carolina, Vermont, and Wyoming DOCs. In August, local news outlets reported that 80 percent of the incarcerated men from Vermont at Tallahatchie had tested positive for the coronavirus, and many were complaining of inadequate medical care.
The transfer of individuals from the D.C. Jail to Mississippi was never reported by the media.
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Since it happened, the men from D.C. have been dispersed to other federal facilities, and the U.S. Marshals have ended their contract with the Tallahatchie facility, replacing it with another CoreCivic transfer center in Oklahoma.
Bowser and Booth Go AWOL
In a news conference on March 31, Mayor Muriel Bowser said, “I will assure you, it is our expectation and what we will confirm with jail staff that we are following every safety and health protocol with the cleaning of the jail.”
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On June 1, D.C. Councilmember Charles Allen held a budget oversight hearing where DOC Director Quincy Booth testified under oath. Booth declared, “DOC prides itself on continually ensuring the public safety of the District residents is provided by a safe, orderly, and humane environment for its residents who are entrusted in our custody.”
Booth went on to commend the Mayor, the DOC, and various partners for helping to “mitigate the spread of the virus” at the jail and following “the best and promising practices and us[ing] data to inform our decisions to keep the residents and staff in our care safe.” He mentioned, “enhanced cleaning to their cells, as well as the whole housing units, coupled with out-of-cell time that allowed them the opportunity to connect with their loved ones,” as well as comprehensive information about the virus provided by medical staff and “enhanced signage” throughout the jail.
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Booth also praised the private company, Unity Health Care, that provides medical services at the jail, saying that any incarcerated person who experiences COVID symptoms can put in a sick call and “one of the Unity staff members will immediately, within the day come down and provide testing for them as well.”
Both incarcerated people and correctional officers provided a very different picture of the jail during the pandemic.
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In an April 1 press conference hosted by the correctional officers’ union, Corporal Benjamin Olubasusi said, “Sufficient personal protective equipment (PPE) is not being provided to our staff. Social distancing is actively discouraged.” Olubasusi said staff’s requests for PPE were continually ignored, and DOC leadership “refused to participate in a daily conference call to address the crisis and to hear our input.” Olubasusi recalled a conversation with Mayor Bowser, in which she threatened him with criminal prosecution if he “left the jail” or encouraged his co-workers to do so. He said, “The leaders are now leaving us to die.”
Corporal Jannease Johnson told the press, “Management directs cleaning staff to only clean the management areas in the facility,” but not the areas where incarcerated people live.
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“We have not seen the director in the building in about two to three weeks now,” she said. “He’s staying away from D.C. Jail and CTF. That’s very unusual. [Normally] he’s over here, the deputy director is over here on a regular basis...Now, we don’t see them at all. I don’t think they’re here because I don’t think they want to be contaminated with the COVID-19 virus. They are afraid to come to the facilities.”
In a rare acknowledgment of common interest and common fate, Olubasusi said, “Inmates are not being protected, officers are not being protected. If they are not safe, then we are not safe either. Our families are not safe either.”
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‘Ain’t Nobody to Call’
G, a man held at the jail, described the signage Booth had referenced: “There are signs up in our unit that describe COVID-19. The signs do not tell us what the symptoms are. The signs tell us not to spread misinformation about COVID, but the signs do not give us the correct information we should know.”
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Fifty-year-old Eric Smith, who was held in jail during the pandemic, wrote in a declaration, “It takes days before anyone can get medical staff to come see them, even if you say you are having trouble breathing.” Another man wrote, “If I put in a sick call slip, I will not be seen by sick call for two to three days.”
Kamal Dorchy, 46, recalled a “new policy” introduced in March for handling the coronavirus. “The new policy was that inmates were not allowed hand sanitizer. There were hand sanitizer dispensers mounted on the walls. They were taken down and given to COs.”
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Soon after, a lieutenant announced “that we would be restricted to our cells 23.5 hours per day,” Dorchy wrote. “A lot of inmates are locked in with their cellmates. There is no sink in my cell and no toilet in my cell.”
People at the jail complained that the food and drinks provided by subcontractor Summit Food Service were inedible and contaminated. An anonymous man wrote, “The food they bring us from the jail is cold and the milk is spoiled and not kept on ice. I am afraid that if I drink the milk I will get sick.”
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“I am afraid that I will die in [here]. I am preparing for my death...Other people have told me they are afraid they will die in here if no one helps us. People need to be sent home.”
Smith said, “Every day they bring a big cooler of juice for people on the unit to drink. All-day long inmates dip their cups into the top of the juice cooler to get ice out of it. If anyone on our unit has the virus, all of us either already [ has] it or will get it soon.”
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Mustafa Zulu believes that “many more people, many more inmates caught the coronavirus than it is on record. Whatever the numbers they’re saying it is, it’s probably almost double that.” He says people have often hidden their symptoms for fear of being sent to solitary confinement. “A lot of guys just didn’t want to go to isolation. They already had heard what was going on down there. They were just taking us and throwing us in a cell.”
Zulu now thinks he would have been better off if he had not reported his symptoms, and had treated himself in the regular housing unit. Locked in the North 2 isolation block with no emergency buttons, “There ain’t nobody to call, ain’t nobody to yell to. It’s almost like an empty building…[If you pass out and] none of them happen to be around, then you’re fucked.”
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Dorchy testified, “There are not enough medical supplies to go around if we are all left in here.”
As someone with fragile health, he said, “I am afraid that I will die in [here]. I am preparing for my death...Other people have told me they are afraid they will die in here if no one helps us. People need to be sent home.”
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Jim Ridgeway is the founder and co-director of Solitary Watch, a watchdog group that investigates and documents the use of solitary confinement in U.S. prisons and jails. He was a long-time political reporter for the Village Voice. Follow him on Twitter.
Valerie Kiebala is an editorial manager and staff writer for Solitary Watch. Her work has also appeared in Truthout, the Chicago Reporter, and Shadowproof. Follow her work on Solitary Watch on Twitter.
Lawrence Ukenye is a sophomore journalism and political science double major at Temple University. He’s an editor at the Temple News and has a passion for political journalism and videography. He can be reached at lawrence.ukenye@temple.edu.


theroot--2020-12-17--White Man Who Shot and Killed Two Black People in Kentucky Kroger Sentenced to Life in Prison

Gregory Alan Bush—the white man who walked into a Louisville , Ky. , area Kroger supermarket in 2018 and fatally shot two elderly Black people—pleaded guilty to murder on Tuesday and will spend the rest of his life in prison without the possibility of parole .
Bush—who is reportedly schizophrenic and was unmedicated at the time of the shooting , according to his attorney—is also facing federal hate crime charges , because while mental illness might somewhat explain why he walked into a grocery store and opened fire , murdering two people , mental illness doesn ’ t make a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that race played a part in the senseless killings .
The Associated Press reports that Bush “ plead [ ed ] guilty but mentally ill ” in Jefferson Circuit Court to two counts of murder , criminal attempted murder and wanton endangerment .
He was sentenced to two life terms to be served concurrently .
Pleading guilty but mentally ill means the Kentucky Department of Corrections must provide Bush with treatment and medication during his term , according to Jeff Cooke , a spokesman for the commonwealth ’ s attorney ’ s office @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also was set to plead guilty to federal hate crime charges in February .
Federal prosecutors alleged the shooting of Maurice Stallard , 69 , and Vickie Jones , 67 , was racially motivated , though Attorney General William Barr agreed not to seek the death penalty .
According to WDRB-TV , Angela Elleman , one of Bush ’ s attorneys , said in a statement that Bush ’ s “ schizophrenia was not medicated , so he was tortured by voices that threatened to kill him and his family.
” “ He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ illness , while at the very same time his elderly parents were downtown seeking a mental inquest warrant to hospitalize him for everyone ’ s safety , ” Elleman said , adding that Bush ’ s actions that day “ are not keeping with his character when medicated .
Mr. Bush has agreed to spend the remainder of his life in prison where he can be safely treated and medicated.
” But , again , lack of medication doesn ’ t explain why Bush seemingly targeted Black people in his terroristic attack .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ before Bush headed to Kroger to begin his rampage , he tried to enter the historically Black First Baptist Church in Jeffersontown , which thankfully , was locked at the time .
As Bush was exiting Kroger after the shooting , he reportedly told a white man who was crouched behind a car holding a gun , “ Don ’ t shoot me .
I won ’ t shoot you .
Whites don ’ t shoot whites.
” According to court records , Bush also has a history of making racist comments , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ex-wife , who is Black , “ a nigger bitch.
” WDRB reports that the family members of Bush ’ s victims spoke at his sentencing hearing .
“ I just don ’ t understand why you selected anyone—It can ’ t be just for the color of their skin , ” Charlotte Stallard , Maurice ’ s wife , said .
“ To me , it has to be more than that .
You can ’ t hate someone that much for the color of their skin .
You have ruined my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just have an idea why ?
” Kelly Watson , Stallard ’ s daughter—whose son was with Stallard at the time of the shooting—said in court , “ That day replays in my head constantly.
” “ The man whose life you took , he gave and he loved everybody around him , ” Watson said .
“ He was there for everybody , and I hope that while you are sitting in jail , you are able to reconcile your own life and think about what you did .
And I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to hurt anyone else .
”

Gregory Alan Bush—the white man who walked into a Louisville, Ky., area Kroger supermarket in 2018 and fatally shot two elderly Black people—pleaded guilty to murder on Tuesday and will spend the rest of his life in prison without the possibility of parole. Bush—who is reportedly schizophrenic and was unmedicated at the time of the shooting, according to his attorney—is also facing federal hate crime charges, because while mental illness might somewhat explain why he walked into a grocery store and opened fire, murdering two people, mental illness doesn’t make a person racist and there is little doubt that race played a part in the senseless killings.
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The Associated Press reports that Bush “ plead[ ed] guilty but mentally ill” in Jefferson Circuit Court to two counts of murder, criminal attempted murder and wanton endangerment. He was sentenced to two life terms to be served concurrently.
From AP:
Pleading guilty but mentally ill means the Kentucky Department of Corrections must provide Bush with treatment and medication during his term, according to Jeff Cooke, a spokesman for the commonwealth’s attorney’s office. Under a plea agreement, Bush also was set to plead guilty to federal hate crime charges in February. Federal prosecutors alleged the shooting of Maurice Stallard, 69, and Vickie Jones, 67, was racially motivated, though Attorney General William Barr agreed not to seek the death penalty.
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According to WDRB-TV, Angela Elleman, one of Bush’s attorneys, said in a statement that Bush’s “schizophrenia was not medicated, so he was tortured by voices that threatened to kill him and his family.”
“He acted out of his psychosis and his illness, while at the very same time his elderly parents were downtown seeking a mental inquest warrant to hospitalize him for everyone’s safety,” Elleman said, adding that Bush’s actions that day “are not keeping with his character when medicated. Mr. Bush has agreed to spend the remainder of his life in prison where he can be safely treated and medicated.”
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But, again, lack of medication doesn’t explain why Bush seemingly targeted Black people in his terroristic attack. As The Root previously reported, just before Bush headed to Kroger to begin his rampage, he tried to enter the historically Black First Baptist Church in Jeffersontown, which thankfully, was locked at the time.
As Bush was exiting Kroger after the shooting, he reportedly told a white man who was crouched behind a car holding a gun, “Don’t shoot me. I won’t shoot you. Whites don’t shoot whites.”
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According to court records, Bush also has a history of making racist comments, including allegations that he repeatedly called his ex-wife, who is Black, “ a nigger bitch.”
WDRB reports that the family members of Bush’s victims spoke at his sentencing hearing.
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“I just don’t understand why you selected anyone—It can’t be just for the color of their skin,” Charlotte Stallard, Maurice’s wife, said. “To me, it has to be more than that. You can’t hate someone that much for the color of their skin. You have ruined my life. I’d like to just have an idea why?”
Kelly Watson, Stallard’s daughter—whose son was with Stallard at the time of the shooting—said in court, “That day replays in my head constantly.”
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“The man whose life you took, he gave and he loved everybody around him,” Watson said. “He was there for everybody, and I hope that while you are sitting in jail, you are able to reconcile your own life and think about what you did. And I’m grateful you will never be able to hurt anyone else.”


theroot--2020-12-17--Holiday Blues Got You Down? Try an Ugly Sweater on for Size

The holidays are here .
It ’ s hard to muster up some kind of joy when 2020 has been a wash at best and devastating at worst .
But , you can find some kind of happiness with a couple of sweaters to liven up a drab holiday celebration .
I ’ ve rounded up 10 choices to liven up any holiday party via Zoom , a socially-distanced get together , or just some cute Instagram photos to make yourself feel better .
Let ’ s get into it .
Who doesn ’ t love Deadpool ?
Just make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your face wearing it .
I ’ m sure he likes to be the only special one in the room .
We all know Rudolph is the coolest reindeer of the bunch .
His nose glows so why don ’ t you glow with him ?
I am not Jewish , but I ’ ve been to enough Bar Mitzvahs to understand this reference .
I find it very interesting that the stock photo with the black model only got two stars on Amazon .
This also reminds me of my first crush @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I hope he ’ s doing well .
I hope he ’ s still cute , too .
I ’ m going to be honest with you all , as a black woman , I have never celebrated Kwanzaa .
That still doesn ’ t mean I don ’ t know all the days and what they mean because one thing black parents are going to do—make sure you know your history .
So , for all who celebrate , merry Kwanzaa yo !
This was just really clever .
Nothing I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ animals on it can be considered ugly .
It ’ s true because I said it .
I mean technically Jesus wasn ’ t born on Christmas , but it ’ s nice to think he was a Capricorn ?

Ignacia on The Inventory, shared by Gabe Carey to The Root

Top Product: Cheeky Deadpool Sweater | $40 | Amazon
The holidays are here. It’s hard to muster up some kind of joy when 2020 has been a wash at best and devastating at worst. But, you can find some kind of happiness with a couple of sweaters to liven up a drab holiday celebration. I’ve rounded up 10 choices to liven up any holiday party via Zoom, a socially-distanced get together, or just some cute Instagram photos to make yourself feel better. Let’s get into it.
Who doesn’t love Deadpool? Just make sure you don’t chemically burn your face wearing it. I’m sure he likes to be the only special one in the room.
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We all know Rudolph is the coolest reindeer of the bunch. His nose glows so why don’t you glow with him?
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I am not Jewish, but I’ve been to enough Bar Mitzvahs to understand this reference.
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I find it very interesting that the stock photo with the black model only got two stars on Amazon. This also reminds me of my first crush on a Black Jewish boy named Matthew. I hope he’s doing well. I hope he’s still cute, too.
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I’m going to be honest with you all, as a black woman, I have never celebrated Kwanzaa. That still doesn’t mean I don’t know all the days and what they mean because one thing black parents are going to do—make sure you know your history. So, for all who celebrate, merry Kwanzaa yo!
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This was just really clever. Nothing I say will be funnier.
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Nothing with animals on it can be considered ugly. It’s true because I said it.
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Who doesn’t like a good sex joke?
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I mean technically Jesus wasn’t born on Christmas, but it’s nice to think he was a Capricorn?
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I didn’t know Santa wore a thong?!


theroot--2020-12-18--From the Maxx to the Marshalls: 'Style Savant' Kahlana Barfield Brown Gives Our Affordable Faves a G

From the Maxx to the Marshalls: 'Style Savant' Kahlana Barfield Brown Gives Our Affordable Faves a Giftworthy Edit

True confession time : I am a veteran “ Maxxinista.
” If you don ’ t know what that is , you obviously never had the unique privilege of growing up near a T.J. Maxx—it was even my first part-time job !
A decade later , I spent years modeling for the brand , so suffice to say , the Maxx and I—and its equally well-priced sister store , Marshalls—are pretty much ride-or-die , at this point .
After all , who doesn ’ t love to get the max for the minimum ?
( Yes , I just seriously @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As it turns out , my enthusiasm for these two stores has met its match in fashion insider , influencer , former editor at InStyle magazine and overall “ style savant , ” Kahlana Barfield Brown .
Also an honoree in this year ’ s The Glow Up 50 , Barfield Brown ’ s longtime professional and personal relationship with TJX Companies ( parent company of both T.J. Maxx and Marshalls ) parallels my own—in fact , her younger sister is now the one with the part-time gig at a T.J. Maxx .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to reliably affordable finds , it ’ s always one of the first places we look .
“ It ’ s where we would go , especially during the holidays , because when you ’ re shopping for so many people , it ’ s great when you can go to one store and buy something in every category .
You know , whether it ’ s for myself , or for my daughter , or for my sister , or my mother , there ’ s something for everyone in all the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , home , everything ’ s there , ” says the mother of two ( Barfield Brown gave birth to her second daughter a few months ago ) .
So we ’ ve always we ’ ve always shopped at T.J. Maxx ... Like , I know the brand in and out because the brand ’ s been in my life my whole life.
” Now , Barfield Brown is helping the rest of us find some affordable holiday gifts for our entire list—and thanks to the wonder of the internet , you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or even enter a store ( though impressive shopping safety measures have long been in place at my local Marshalls ) .
If you have fond memories of scoring in-store , you have no idea how many more unexpected treasures you ’ ll find online .
“ Seriously , the amount of designer clothes that I ’ ve found at T.J. Maxx and have bought for a fraction of the price of that you would find it elsewhere is crazy , ” Barfield Brown laughs .
“ Like , I have found some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ usually out-of-reach luxury labels ( seriously , there ’ s a Runway section ) , to deep discounts on basics , to wall art ( yes , I ’ ve actually copped a canvas at Marshalls ) .
I even maintain a running list of favorites to reference whenever the mood hits .
( Did I mention you can save your faves ?
No ?
Well , you can do that , too . )
“ T.J .
Maxx has great , great prices and trendworthy items as well , so it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quality for the price .
You ’ re getting the quality but you ’ re also getting an amazing , amazing price point , ” says Barfield Brown , sharing her in-store shopping strategy .
“ I take my time , I have my list and I work my way through the racks .
And I always find great items—and like a mix , you know—I ’ ll find designer items but I ’ ll also find smaller brands and , you know , up-and-coming brands , and things that I ’ ll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ never heard of , but I ’ ll also see the ones that I ’ ve known forever .
So it ’ s great because you just never know what you ’ ll find ... and it feels like a treasure , right ?
” she adds .
“ It ’ s like ... you were able to get such an amazing price on it that you value it even more because it feels like a treasure ... you just feel like you won.
” To help us win this year , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of her favorite retailers but has curated an edit of gift options for the entire crew .
“ There ’ s always something new .
There ’ s always something fresh , ” she tells us , further explaining in a statement .
“ From kitchen essentials and home décor , to gifts for your little one or furry friend , they ’ ve got everything to help you cross your loved ones off your gift list !
” Of course , given the opportunity to chat with one of the most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new year looms , we had to ask her strategies for shopping beyond the holidays , especially in an unforgiving economic climate .
“ You know , I remember when I first started in fashion , spending money on just like whatever was the biggest , baddest trend—you know , whatever it was , ” she recalled .
“ After a while , it was like , ‘ OK , I was only able to wear that for one season , ’ you know ?
And so I really I started to kind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Like , I ’ m always shopping—obviously , I love to be on-trend .
But I think that there ’ s a way to be on-trend and also be like timeless at the same time .
I really love to invest in classic silhouettes and also classic , neutral colors—like , neutrals are my favorite , ” she adds , noting that she then adds a pop of color or her favorite ( and mine ) , leopard , to punctuate a look .
“ You know , I love black ... beiges @ @ @ @ @ @ @ colors where you can get a lot of wear out of it , ” she adds .
“ You can mix and match those colors with different items , and no one will even know if you wear the same blazer two days in a row because it ’ s such a neutral , you know ?
It ’ s the kind of style savvy that ’ s built Barfield Brown ’ s extensive and trusted platform , but with a growing family to be grateful for , she tells us her ultimate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any shopping at all—and it ’ s something we can all afford .
“ We ’ re just going to just love on each other and just enjoy this time together , ” she says , “ just be present and enjoy this moment right now—just enjoy the holidays .

Maiysha Kai on The Glow Up, shared by Maiysha Kai to The Root

True confession time: I am a veteran “Maxxinista.” If you don’t know what that is, you obviously never had the unique privilege of growing up near a T.J. Maxx—it was even my first part-time job! A decade later, I spent years modeling for the brand, so suffice to say, the Maxx and I—and its equally well-priced sister store, Marshalls—are pretty much ride-or-die, at this point. After all, who doesn’t love to get the max for the minimum? (Yes, I just seriously dated myself with that reference.)
As it turns out, my enthusiasm for these two stores has met its match in fashion insider, influencer, former editor at InStyle magazine and overall “style savant,” Kahlana Barfield Brown. Also an honoree in this year’s The Glow Up 50, Barfield Brown’s longtime professional and personal relationship with TJX Companies (parent company of both T.J. Maxx and Marshalls) parallels my own—in fact, her younger sister is now the one with the part-time gig at a T.J. Maxx. And like me, when it comes to reliably affordable finds, it’s always one of the first places we look.
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“It’s where we would go, especially during the holidays, because when you’re shopping for so many people, it’s great when you can go to one store and buy something in every category. You know, whether it’s for myself, or for my daughter, or for my sister, or my mother, there’s something for everyone in all the categories: kids, women, men, home, everything’s there,” says the mother of two (Barfield Brown gave birth to her second daughter a few months ago). So we’ve always we’ve always shopped at T.J. Maxx...Like, I know the brand in and out because the brand’s been in my life my whole life.”
Now, Barfield Brown is helping the rest of us find some affordable holiday gifts for our entire list—and thanks to the wonder of the internet, you don’t need to live nearby or even enter a store (though impressive shopping safety measures have long been in place at my local Marshalls). If you have fond memories of scoring in-store, you have no idea how many more unexpected treasures you’ll find online.
Advertisement Advertisement
“Seriously, the amount of designer clothes that I’ve found at T.J. Maxx and have bought for a fraction of the price of that you would find it elsewhere is crazy,” Barfield Brown laughs. “Like, I have found some gems.”
Advertisement
As have I—from stumbling upon usually out-of-reach luxury labels (seriously, there’s a Runway section), to deep discounts on basics, to wall art (yes, I’ve actually copped a canvas at Marshalls). I even maintain a running list of favorites to reference whenever the mood hits. (Did I mention you can save your faves? No? Well, you can do that, too.)
“T.J. Maxx has great, great prices and trendworthy items as well, so it’s not like you have to sacrifice quality for the price. You’re getting the quality but you’re also getting an amazing, amazing price point,” says Barfield Brown, sharing her in-store shopping strategy. “I take my time, I have my list and I work my way through the racks. And I always find great items—and like a mix, you know—I’ll find designer items but I’ll also find smaller brands and, you know, up-and-coming brands, and things that I’ll discover, brands that I’ve never heard of, but I’ll also see the ones that I’ve known forever. So it’s great because you just never know what you’ll find...and it feels like a treasure, right?” she adds. “It’s like...you were able to get such an amazing price on it that you value it even more because it feels like a treasure...you just feel like you won.”
Advertisement
To help us win this year, the style maven is not only repping for one of her favorite retailers but has curated an edit of gift options for the entire crew. “There’s always something new. There’s always something fresh,” she tells us, further explaining in a statement. “From kitchen essentials and home décor, to gifts for your little one or furry friend, they’ve got everything to help you cross your loved ones off your gift list!”
Advertisement
Of course, given the opportunity to chat with one of the most stylish women in the ether as a new year looms, we had to ask her strategies for shopping beyond the holidays, especially in an unforgiving economic climate.
“You know, I remember when I first started in fashion, spending money on just like whatever was the biggest, baddest trend—you know, whatever it was,” she recalled. “After a while, it was like, ‘OK, I was only able to wear that for one season,’ you know? And so I really I started to kind of change the way I shopped. Like, I’m always shopping—obviously, I love to be on-trend. But I think that there’s a way to be on-trend and also be like timeless at the same time. I really love to invest in classic silhouettes and also classic, neutral colors—like, neutrals are my favorite,” she adds, noting that she then adds a pop of color or her favorite (and mine), leopard, to punctuate a look. “You know, I love black...beiges...olive greens and browns and those colors where you can get a lot of wear out of it,” she adds. “You can mix and match those colors with different items, and no one will even know if you wear the same blazer two days in a row because it’s such a neutral, you know?
Advertisement
It’s the kind of style savvy that’s built Barfield Brown’s extensive and trusted platform, but with a growing family to be grateful for, she tells us her ultimate focus this season doesn’t require any shopping at all—and it’s something we can all afford. “We’re just going to just love on each other and just enjoy this time together,” she says, “just be present and enjoy this moment right now—just enjoy the holidays.


theroot--2020-12-18--Black Women Democrats Are Pushing Joe Biden to Cancel $50,000 of Loan Debt per Borrower, Citing Incr

Black Women Democrats Are Pushing Joe Biden to Cancel $50,000 of Loan Debt per Borrower, Citing Increasing Racial Inequality

As the nation waits for congressional lawmakers to reach a resolution on a second stimulus bill—nine months after the coronavirus pandemic began disrupting the lives of Americans around the country—a group of Black female House Democrats is challenging President-elect Joe Biden to offer more substantial relief to student loan borrowers .
The charge comes in the form of a resolution , introduced by Reps. Ayanna Pressley ( D-Mass . )
, Ilhan Omar ( D-Minn. ) , Alma Adams ( D-NC ) and Maxine Waters ( D-Calif. ) , reports Vox .
The resolution calls for the incoming Biden administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cutting student loan debt by forgiving up to $ 50,000 in federal debt for student borrowers .
A companion piece to a Senate resolution put forward by Sens .
Chuck Schumer ( D-NY ) and Elizabeth Warren ( D-Mass . )
earlier this year , the resolution makes the case that student debt forgiveness is a critical tool in tackling racial inequality .
“ The student debt crisis is a racial and economic justice issue and we must finally begin to address it as such , ” Pressley said in a statement .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the kind of bold , high-impact policy that the broad and diverse coalition that elected Joe Biden and Kamala Harris expect them to deliver.
” Pressley argued that canceling student debt is “ one of the most effective ways to provide direct relief to millions , help reduce the racial wealth gap , stimulate our economy , and begin to deliver an equitable and just recovery.
” Waters , chairwoman of the House Finance Committee , echoed the need for debt forgiveness amid a pandemic and a lagging economy that has seen massive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overstate the importance of this resolution and the need for the Biden Administration to take bold action and deliver on this mandate from the people on day one , ” said Waters .
As The Root has reported over the years , student loan debt disproportionately affects African American borrowers .
The reasons are myriad : A 2016 Atlantic article found Black grads had less debt compared to their non-Black peers shortly after receiving their undergraduate diplomas .
However , their debt ballooned in the years after .
Four years after graduating , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of debt of white , Asian and Latinx students .
This is in part because more Black graduates continue their studies after receiving their bachelor ’ s degree , and because they have a higher rate of attending predatory for-profit institutions , which put them further in debt without actually advancing their employment options .
Graduates of historically Black colleges and universities have also been found to accrue higher debt burdens than those who do not attend HBCUs .
Undergirding all of this is an increasingly disparate racial wealth gap , made possible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Project Director Rebecca Dixon describes to The Root as a “ Jim Crow job market , ” in which Black workers disproportionately work lower-wage jobs than their white counterparts and—particularly for Black women—are paid less than their peers in those professions .
“ Student debt cancellation would be a massive economic stimulus at a time when people desperately need it .
It ’ s also a racial equity issue .
Students of color are more likely to take out federal student loans , and face higher rates of default , ” pointed out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ earlier this on a plan to drastically reduce student debt .
“ Over 90 percent of student debt is held by the federal government , which President-elect Joe Biden can cancel with the stroke of a pen , ” said Omar .
As Vox notes , Biden has supported legislation to cancel $ 10,000 in federal student loan debt , but lawmakers and activists who helped put him in office are urging the president-elect to forgive greater amounts of student debt—if not canceling it entirely .
Those who oppose student debt forgiveness say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help the people who most need it , citing that much of America ’ s student loan debt is held by households with graduate degrees , as the Brookings Institution found .
Policy experts also note that student loan forgiveness alone can not fix wealth and educational inequity , but must be coupled with larger changes to higher education in order to prevent upcoming graduates from sliding back into debt again .
But those reasons are not enough to deny debt relief to millions of Americans who desperately need it , say proponents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pointed out that this debt has stymied the purchasing power and mobility of many Americans .
“ These loans are holding American families back from buying houses , cars , and opening small businesses , ” she continued .
“ Student loan debt prevents young families from building and creating wealth that they can pass down to their children and grandchildren—a freedom that historically has been denied to Black Americans in this country .
”

As the nation waits for congressional lawmakers to reach a resolution on a second stimulus bill—nine months after the coronavirus pandemic began disrupting the lives of Americans around the country—a group of Black female House Democrats is challenging President-elect Joe Biden to offer more substantial relief to student loan borrowers.
The charge comes in the form of a resolution, introduced by Reps. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Alma Adams (D-NC) and Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), reports Vox. The resolution calls for the incoming Biden administration to take a more aggressive stance on cutting student loan debt by forgiving up to $50,000 in federal debt for student borrowers. A companion piece to a Senate resolution put forward by Sens. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) earlier this year, the resolution makes the case that student debt forgiveness is a critical tool in tackling racial inequality.
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“The student debt crisis is a racial and economic justice issue and we must finally begin to address it as such,” Pressley said in a statement. “Broad-based student debt cancellation is precisely the kind of bold, high-impact policy that the broad and diverse coalition that elected Joe Biden and Kamala Harris expect them to deliver.”
Pressley argued that canceling student debt is “one of the most effective ways to provide direct relief to millions, help reduce the racial wealth gap, stimulate our economy, and begin to deliver an equitable and just recovery.”
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Waters, chairwoman of the House Finance Committee, echoed the need for debt forgiveness amid a pandemic and a lagging economy that has seen massive job losses.
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“I cannot overstate the importance of this resolution and the need for the Biden Administration to take bold action and deliver on this mandate from the people on day one,” said Waters.
As The Root has reported over the years, student loan debt disproportionately affects African American borrowers. The reasons are myriad: A 2016 Atlantic article found Black grads had less debt compared to their non-Black peers shortly after receiving their undergraduate diplomas. However, their debt ballooned in the years after. Four years after graduating, Black grads saw nearly double the amount of debt of white, Asian and Latinx students.
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This is in part because more Black graduates continue their studies after receiving their bachelor’s degree, and because they have a higher rate of attending predatory for-profit institutions, which put them further in debt without actually advancing their employment options. Graduates of historically Black colleges and universities have also been found to accrue higher debt burdens than those who do not attend HBCUs.
Undergirding all of this is an increasingly disparate racial wealth gap, made possible in part by what National Employment Law Project Director Rebecca Dixon describes to The Root as a “Jim Crow job market,” in which Black workers disproportionately work lower-wage jobs than their white counterparts and—particularly for Black women—are paid less than their peers in those professions.
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“Student debt cancellation would be a massive economic stimulus at a time when people desperately need it. It’s also a racial equity issue. Students of color are more likely to take out federal student loans, and face higher rates of default,” pointed out Rep. Omar, who worked with Pressley earlier this on a plan to drastically reduce student debt.
“Over 90 percent of student debt is held by the federal government, which President-elect Joe Biden can cancel with the stroke of a pen,” said Omar.
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As Vox notes, Biden has supported legislation to cancel $10,000 in federal student loan debt, but lawmakers and activists who helped put him in office are urging the president-elect to forgive greater amounts of student debt—if not canceling it entirely.
Those who oppose student debt forgiveness say such a policy wouldn’t actually help the people who most need it, citing that much of America’s student loan debt is held by households with graduate degrees, as the Brookings Institution found. Policy experts also note that student loan forgiveness alone cannot fix wealth and educational inequity, but must be coupled with larger changes to higher education in order to prevent upcoming graduates from sliding back into debt again.
Advertisement
But those reasons are not enough to deny debt relief to millions of Americans who desperately need it, say proponents of student debt forgiveness. Rep. Adams pointed out that this debt has stymied the purchasing power and mobility of many Americans.
“These loans are holding American families back from buying houses, cars, and opening small businesses,” she continued. “Student loan debt prevents young families from building and creating wealth that they can pass down to their children and grandchildren—a freedom that historically has been denied to Black Americans in this country.”


theroot--2020-12-18--Joe Biden Wouldn't be the Next President If Not for 'Defund the Police'

In the beginning , God took six days to create the Earth , all of the animals and humans .
Adam and Eve , the original Michelle and Barack , were living the life , running around butt-naked until Lucifer , an incredibly talented choir director , ruined everything by convincing Eve to serve Adam a tainted fruit salad .
That ’ s why people die .
In West Africa , it was Awe ’ s fault .
After Mawu created the universe ( she only needed four days , though ) , the monkey Awe started bragging to all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to make things , too .
But Awe couldn ’ t quite figure out how to do the “ breath of life ” part , so Mawu gave him a bowl of oatmeal with the seed of death in it .
And that is why people die .
In Egypt , the serpent Apep embodied chaos and was the enemy of Ma ’ at .
Among the Iroquois , everything is Flint ’ s fault .
Gargamel was the enemy of the Smurfs .
Darth Vader was the head enforcer of the Galactic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , none of these entities are necessarily evil .
Satan was originally an angel ; Awe was just a monkey and all Darth Vader wanted to do was please his father .
They are just characters in fantastic parables that explain why bad things happen .
Ultimately , these unseen scapegoats are all placeholders for the shortcomings of actual humans who live and breathe .
But , because we are humans , we need a reason ... And in the Democratic Party , “ defund the police ” ruins everything .
In the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , political pundits have created an antagonist out of whole cloth to explain how down-ballot Democrats were decimated in the 2020 election .
Just like their Republican counterparts have offered baseless claims of widespread voter fraud , wound-licking moderate Democrats have insinuated—or in some cases , downright enunciated—the absolutely false notion that aspirational progressive proposals like Medicare for all , taxing the wealthy and expanding the Supreme Court played a large part in sinking mainstream candidates .
None of these movements have taken a hit like “ defund the police.
” Barack Obama @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” explaining : “ You lost a big audience the minute you say it , which makes it a lot less likely that you ’ re actually going to get the changes you want done.
” Biden doubled down on this idiotic conclusion during a meeting with civil rights leaders , insisting that ’ s how Republicans “ beat the living hell out of us.
” I could go on an extended rant about how the idea of moderating one ’ s message in the hope of appealing to white moderates will always @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I already did that .
Defund the Police activists has already done that .
Martin Luther King Jr. has already done that .
Jesus F. Christ already did that .
The widespread opposition to asserting the value of our lives should be a not-so-subtle indication that it is impossible to craft a sequence of words that will convince the people who profit from the status quo to overturn the system that benefits them .
But , aside from the fact that there is no actual proof of this stupid , historically disproven argument @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that many people often overlook in this debate .
It ’ s not just factually incorrect .
The exact opposite is true .
Joe Biden didn ’ t get elected president because he somehow convinced Black voters that he was our savior .
He was elected because the very same people who began the “ defund the police ” movement helped his craggly , withered body across the finish line .
The activists , protesters and citizens who flooded streets across the nation in the wake of the killings of George Floyd , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t just buy Sharpies , make a few signs and march in circles ; they actually organized voters with the intention of affecting electoral politics and institutional policy .
These newly activated Americans not only voted for Joe Biden ; they actually are the only reason he won .
Everyone acknowledges the record Black turnout in the 2020 election without mentioning where those Black voters came from .
There was no door-to-door campaigning and , because of the pandemic , Biden couldn ’ t walk into Black churches or trudge into a barbershop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Was it Ma ’ at ?
Zeus ?
Papa Smurf ?
Washington Post exit polling data shows that Biden ’ s biggest margin of victory was among voters for whom racial inequality was their biggest issue the coronavirus pandemic , healthcare and the economy weren ’ t even close seconds .
NBC News ’ polls showed the same thing .
A Morning Consult poll showed that 74 percent of Biden voters said that “ reducing racial inequalities ” in criminal justice and policing was an important factor in why they voted for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Monmouth poll , 71 percent of Americans say the Black Lives Matter movement “ brought attention to real racial disparities in American society.
” In 2016 , that same poll showed that only 58 percent of Americans agreed with that statement .
But perhaps Joe Biden and the mealy-mouth moderates are correct when they say that regular Americans don ’ t understand the phrase “ defund the police ” movement , so allow me to explain : Substantively , there are many mechanisms to fight police brutality .
Local officials can reduce the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their forces .
Federal laws can ’ t do much except standardize the policing and threaten to reduce the money to agencies that flout these laws .
Cities can use financial means to force police unions to the table .
Studies show that overpolicing produces more resistance over time and that removing police officers can actually reduce incidents of brutality .
The most ambitious people want to dismantle police departments altogether and reimagine policing with a combination of criminal investigators , traffic regulators , mental health officials and community-oriented crime-stopping .
All of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in common : The reduction of taxpayers ’ dollars to law enforcement agencies .
If only there was a phrase for that .
Trust me , I know one article won ’ t dismantle this false perception , but facts actually matter .
I also understand that political narratives often differ from actual reality .
But nearly every poll shows that when the policies behind defunding police are explained to voters , they support the ideas .
Maybe that ’ s what Biden , Obama and Jim Clyburn were talking about .
Perhaps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just don ’ t understand what the phrase means .
Except , there ’ s one thing you should know .
But , instead of framing this next point in my own incendiary words , I will just share this screenshot from the above-mentioned Monmouth poll .
Read it for yourself .
The average voter not only supports the policies behind the movement , but they also understand what the words mean .
And , according to the data , those are the people who handed Joe Biden the presidency .
But did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to lose house seats ?
Well , to explain that complex issue , perhaps we should look at the candidates .
Of the 12 Democratic incumbents who lost House Seats : • Nine were in traditionally Republican districts .
• Two were embroiled in controversy .
• Every single Democratic incumbent who lost was serving their first term .
• No Republican incumbent lost their seat to a Democrat .
But , according to the gospel of Joseph , it wasn ’ t the inexperienced candidates running in red districts that cost the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did it .
It is also important to note that in the 1992 election , when Bill Clinton ousted George H.W .
Bush ( the last time an incumbent president lost ) , the Democratic party lost nine House seats .
Yes , the devil is actually a liar .
It ’ s easy to conjure up a mythological phantasm on which we can place the Democratic Party ’ s personal failings .
In fact , it is arguable that if it wasn ’ t for the activists who support Black Lives Matter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s party wouldn ’ t even have a base .
The only weapon progressives have to combat the Republican Party ’ s election interference , disinformation and white nationalism is Black voters .
And , it is the people in the streets who motivate Black voters , not 70-something-year-old white moderates .
If Black voters aren ’ t enthused , they will stay home and Democrats will always lose .
Perhaps , instead of blaming the incompetence of the party on a fictional antagonist , perhaps the Democratic leadership should embrace these verifiably @ @ @ @ @ @ @ win if they pushed for universal healthcare , student debt relief and income equality .
Instead of chasing white moderates who never ever show up , they should consider aligning themselves with the ideals of the people who get them elected .
Instead of pretending as if the devil made them lose , maybe they could workshop their own slogan for police reform .
Of course , there ’ s one other remedy that could render this entire argument moot :

In the beginning, God took six days to create the Earth, all of the animals and humans. Adam and Eve, the original Michelle and Barack, were living the life, running around butt-naked until Lucifer, an incredibly talented choir director, ruined everything by convincing Eve to serve Adam a tainted fruit salad. That’s why people die.
In West Africa, it was Awe’s fault. After Mawu created the universe (she only needed four days, though), the monkey Awe started bragging to all the other animals that he knew how to make things, too. But Awe couldn’t quite figure out how to do the “breath of life” part, so Mawu gave him a bowl of oatmeal with the seed of death in it. And that is why people die.
Advertisement
In Egypt, the serpent Apep embodied chaos and was the enemy of Ma’at. Among the Iroquois, everything is Flint’s fault. Gargamel was the enemy of the Smurfs. Darth Vader was the head enforcer of the Galactic Empire.
In these various mythological universes, none of these entities are necessarily evil. Satan was originally an angel; Awe was just a monkey and all Darth Vader wanted to do was please his father. They are just characters in fantastic parables that explain why bad things happen. Ultimately, these unseen scapegoats are all placeholders for the shortcomings of actual humans who live and breathe. But, because we are humans, we need a reason...
Advertisement Advertisement
And in the Democratic Party, “defund the police” ruins everything.
In the creation myth of President-Elect Joseph R. Biden, political pundits have created an antagonist out of whole cloth to explain how down-ballot Democrats were decimated in the 2020 election. Just like their Republican counterparts have offered baseless claims of widespread voter fraud, wound-licking moderate Democrats have insinuated—or in some cases, downright enunciated—the absolutely false notion that aspirational progressive proposals like Medicare for all, taxing the wealthy and expanding the Supreme Court played a large part in sinking mainstream candidates.
Advertisement
None of these movements have taken a hit like “defund the police.” Barack Obama called it a “snappy slogan,” explaining: “You lost a big audience the minute you say it, which makes it a lot less likely that you’re actually going to get the changes you want done.” Biden doubled down on this idiotic conclusion during a meeting with civil rights leaders, insisting that’s how Republicans “beat the living hell out of us.”
Advertisement
I could go on an extended rant about how the idea of moderating one’s message in the hope of appealing to white moderates will always be an exercise in futility, but I already did that. Defund the Police activists has already done that. Martin Luther King Jr. has already done that. Jesus F. Christ already did that.
The widespread opposition to asserting the value of our lives should be a not-so-subtle indication that it is impossible to craft a sequence of words that will convince the people who profit from the status quo to overturn the system that benefits them. But, aside from the fact that there is no actual proof of this stupid, historically disproven argument, there is a more important point that many people often overlook in this debate.
Advertisement
It’s not just factually incorrect. The exact opposite is true.
Joe Biden didn’t get elected president because he somehow convinced Black voters that he was our savior. He was elected because the very same people who began the “defund the police” movement helped his craggly, withered body across the finish line. The activists, protesters and citizens who flooded streets across the nation in the wake of the killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor didn’t just buy Sharpies, make a few signs and march in circles; they actually organized voters with the intention of affecting electoral politics and institutional policy. These newly activated Americans not only voted for Joe Biden; they actually are the only reason he won.
Advertisement
That’s not a hypothesis.
Everyone acknowledges the record Black turnout in the 2020 election without mentioning where those Black voters came from. There was no door-to-door campaigning and, because of the pandemic, Biden couldn’t walk into Black churches or trudge into a barbershop. Who turned out all these voters? Was it Ma’at? Zeus? Papa Smurf?
Advertisement
Washington Post exit polling data shows that Biden’s biggest margin of victory was among voters for whom racial inequality was their biggest issue the coronavirus pandemic, healthcare and the economy weren’t even close seconds. NBC News’ polls showed the same thing. A Morning Consult poll showed that 74 percent of Biden voters said that “reducing racial inequalities” in criminal justice and policing was an important factor in why they voted for Biden.
Furthermore, according to a Monmouth poll, 71 percent of Americans say the Black Lives Matter movement “brought attention to real racial disparities in American society.” In 2016, that same poll showed that only 58 percent of Americans agreed with that statement.
Advertisement
But perhaps Joe Biden and the mealy-mouth moderates are correct when they say that regular Americans don’t understand the phrase “defund the police” movement, so allow me to explain:
Substantively, there are many mechanisms to fight police brutality. Local officials can reduce the funding that allow local departments to militarize their forces. Federal laws can’t do much except standardize the policing and threaten to reduce the money to agencies that flout these laws. Cities can use financial means to force police unions to the table. Studies show that overpolicing produces more resistance over time and that removing police officers can actually reduce incidents of brutality. The most ambitious people want to dismantle police departments altogether and reimagine policing with a combination of criminal investigators, traffic regulators, mental health officials and community-oriented crime-stopping. All of these different ideas would require one thing in common: The reduction of taxpayers’ dollars to law enforcement agencies.
Advertisement
If only there was a phrase for that.
Trust me, I know one article won’t dismantle this false perception, but facts actually matter. I also understand that political narratives often differ from actual reality. But nearly every poll shows that when the policies behind defunding police are explained to voters, they support the ideas. Maybe that’s what Biden, Obama and Jim Clyburn were talking about. Perhaps they’re right; maybe people just don’t understand what the phrase means.
Advertisement
Except, there’s one thing you should know. But, instead of framing this next point in my own incendiary words, I will just share this screenshot from the above-mentioned Monmouth poll.
Advertisement
Read it for yourself.
The average voter not only supports the policies behind the movement, but they also understand what the words mean. And, according to the data, those are the people who handed Joe Biden the presidency.
Advertisement
But did this progressive clarion call cause Democratic candidates to lose house seats? Well, to explain that complex issue, perhaps we should look at the candidates. Of the 12 Democratic incumbents who lost House Seats:
Nine were in traditionally Republican districts.
Two were embroiled in controversy.
Every single Democratic incumbent who lost was serving their first term.
No Republican incumbent lost their seat to a Democrat.
But, according to the gospel of Joseph, it wasn’t the inexperienced candidates running in red districts that cost the party; “defund the police” did it.
Advertisement
It is also important to note that in the 1992 election, when Bill Clinton ousted George H.W. Bush (the last time an incumbent president lost), the Democratic party lost nine House seats.
Yes, the devil is actually a liar.
It’s easy to conjure up a mythological phantasm on which we can place the Democratic Party’s personal failings.
Advertisement
In fact, it is arguable that if it wasn’t for the activists who support Black Lives Matter and defunding the police, Biden’s party wouldn’t even have a base. The only weapon progressives have to combat the Republican Party’s election interference, disinformation and white nationalism is Black voters. And, it is the people in the streets who motivate Black voters, not 70-something-year-old white moderates. If Black voters aren’t enthused, they will stay home and Democrats will always lose.
Ask Hillary Clinton.
Perhaps, instead of blaming the incompetence of the party on a fictional antagonist, perhaps the Democratic leadership should embrace these verifiably popular progressive ideas. Maybe they would win if they pushed for universal healthcare, student debt relief and income equality. Instead of chasing white moderates who never ever show up, they should consider aligning themselves with the ideals of the people who get them elected. Instead of pretending as if the devil made them lose, maybe they could workshop their own slogan for police reform.
Advertisement
Of course, there’s one other remedy that could render this entire argument moot:
Actually defunding the police.