theroot--2020-12-29--Ohio Cop Who Shot Black Man Holding Cellphone Is Fired. His Complaint Record Shows It Was Long Overd

Ohio Cop Who Shot Black Man Holding Cellphone Is Fired. His Complaint Record Shows It Was Long Overdue

Last week The Root reported that an unarmed 47-year-old Black man was fatally shot by a police officer in Columbus , Ohio , while he was standing in a garage and holding a cellphone .
The man has now been identified by authorities as Andre Maurice Hill .
The officer who shot Hill , 19-year-veteran Adam Coy , has been fired behind the incident , but while Columbus ’ police chief touts his firing as “ what accountability looks like , ” Coy has a record full of complaints of misconduct—including use of excessive force—that shows his firing may have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Coy was charged with two counts of critical misconduct by the Columbus Police Department , but these are non-criminal charges that only apply to his employment review .
Coy could still face criminal charges .
According to NBC , Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O ’ Brien appointed Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost as special prosecutor to conduct an investigation into Hill ’ s death .
After the Dec. 22 shooting , Columbus Police Chief Thomas Quinlan recommended Coy ’ s termination over the officer ’ s failure to turn on his body @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as his failure to provide medical assistance after—which means Coy likely wasn ’ t fired for killing an unarmed person , but for everything else he did wrong that night .
As we previously reported , neither Coy nor a second officer on the scene had their body cameras on until after the shooting , but because the cameras have a function that records 60 seconds of “ look back ” footage , video footage of the shooting was recorded and recently released by the police department .
The video shows Hill walking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ phone held high and with the illuminated screen clearly facing them making it extremely hard to believe a trained officer mistook it for a weapon .
There is no audio until after the shots were fired and Coy turned on his bodycam .
Once that happens he can be heard shouting at Hill—who is still alive but on the ground having clearly been shot—to “ put your fucking hands out to the side ” and to “ roll on your stomach , now.
” He then tells the other officer , “ Don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can ’ t see his hand.
” He then continues to shout at Hill to put his hands to his side as if he isn ’ t mortally wounded .
Hill later died at the hospital .
“ This is what accountability looks like , ” Quinlan said Monday of the decision to fire Coy , NBC reports .
“ The evidence provided solid rationale for termination .
Mr. Coy will now have to answer to the state investigators for the death of Andre Hill.
” Don ’ t get me wrong : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been taken off the force , and hopefully , criminal charges will follow , but the man has a record of misconduct complaints that indicate the possibility that “ accountability ” actually came far too late .
According to Yahoo News , Coy ’ s police record includes a 2012 excessive force case that led to Columbus paying a $ 45,000 settlement to the victim .
During a drunk-driving stop in October 2012 , Coy punched a man , slammed him on the ground , and repeatedly bashed his head into the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was handcuffed .
The incident , witnessed by a college student and Coy ’ s own dashboard camera , was so bad the victim was awarded a $ 45,000 settlement from the city .
An internal police investigation found that the driver did not appear to be resisting arrest in the first place .
Still , Coy remained on the force , following a 160-hour suspension .
Other incidents have dotted Coy ’ s professional record .
The Dispatch reported nine complaints against him in 2003 , alone .
He received written counseling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ review of Coy ’ s Internal Affairs Bureau file reveal more than 180 complaints against him since he joined the force .
Most were labeled as unfounded , unsustained , or within the allowed limits of police force .
But at least 16 reports were marked as sustained .
So yeah , firing Coy a long time ago would have been true accountability—the kind of accountability that would have saved Hill ’ s life .

Last week The Root reported that an unarmed 47-year-old Black man was fatally shot by a police officer in Columbus, Ohio, while he was standing in a garage and holding a cellphone. The man has now been identified by authorities as Andre Maurice Hill. The officer who shot Hill, 19-year-veteran Adam Coy, has been fired behind the incident, but while Columbus’ police chief touts his firing as “what accountability looks like,” Coy has a record full of complaints of misconduct—including use of excessive force—that shows his firing may have been long overdue.
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NBC News reports that Coy was charged with two counts of critical misconduct by the Columbus Police Department, but these are non-criminal charges that only apply to his employment review. Coy could still face criminal charges. According to NBC, Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O’Brien appointed Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost as special prosecutor to conduct an investigation into Hill’s death.
After the Dec. 22 shooting, Columbus Police Chief Thomas Quinlan recommended Coy’s termination over the officer’s failure to turn on his body camera before the shooting started as well as his failure to provide medical assistance after—which means Coy likely wasn’t fired for killing an unarmed person, but for everything else he did wrong that night.
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As we previously reported, neither Coy nor a second officer on the scene had their body cameras on until after the shooting, but because the cameras have a function that records 60 seconds of “look back” footage, video footage of the shooting was recorded and recently released by the police department.
The video shows Hill walking to wards the officers with his cell phone held high and with the illuminated screen clearly facing them making it extremely hard to believe a trained officer mistook it for a weapon. There is no audio until after the shots were fired and Coy turned on his bodycam. Once that happens he can be heard shouting at Hill—who is still alive but on the ground having clearly been shot—to “put your fucking hands out to the side” and to “roll on your stomach, now.” He then tells the other officer, “Don’t get fucking close, I can’t see his hand.” He then continues to shout at Hill to put his hands to his side as if he isn’t mortally wounded. Hill later died at the hospital.
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“This is what accountability looks like,” Quinlan said Monday of the decision to fire Coy, NBC reports. “The evidence provided solid rationale for termination. Mr. Coy will now have to answer to the state investigators for the death of Andre Hill.”
Don’t get me wrong: It’s a good thing Coy has been taken off the force, and hopefully, criminal charges will follow, but the man has a record of misconduct complaints that indicate the possibility that “accountability” actually came far too late.
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According to Yahoo News, Coy’s police record includes a 2012 excessive force case that led to Columbus paying a $45,000 settlement to the victim.
From Yahoo:
During a drunk-driving stop in October 2012, Coy punched a man, slammed him on the ground, and repeatedly bashed his head into the hood of his car while the man was handcuffed. The incident, witnessed by a college student and Coy’s own dashboard camera, was so bad the victim was awarded a $45,000 settlement from the city. An internal police investigation found that the driver did not appear to be resisting arrest in the first place. Still, Coy remained on the force, following a 160-hour suspension. Other incidents have dotted Coy’s professional record. The Dispatch reported nine complaints against him in 2003, alone. He received written counseling for those incidents. A Daily Beast review of Coy’s Internal Affairs Bureau file reveal more than 180 complaints against him since he joined the force. Most were labeled as unfounded, unsustained, or within the allowed limits of police force. But at least 16 reports were marked as sustained.
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So yeah, firing Coy a long time ago would have been true accountability—the kind of accountability that would have saved Hill’s life.


theroot--2020-12-28--Sleep Philosophy's Weighted Blanket Is 65% off and Ready to Help Usher You Into Slumberland

This year has been pretty stressful but the good news is it ’ s almost over .
The bad news is it currently doesn ’ t look any better .
If like most people you ’ ve been pretty anxious this year small comforts have meant the world .
A weighted blanket might be a cozy solution to a stressful problem .
Take $ 72 off of Sleep Philosophy ’ s Weighted Blanket for the next week .
The super-soft blanket is plush on one side and a snuggly berber on the other .
This size is the smaller of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sixty inches long and fifty inches wide .
It weighs in at almost eleven pounds and comes in five colors .
The weight is evenly distributed to give the illusion of a light comforting hug .
This will help make sleep deeper , longer , and more restful .
The g lass beads in the middle are OEKO-TEX certified which means they aren ’ t harmful and contain no chemicals .
Spot clean if it gets dirty .
Don ’ t let blanket season pass you by without the best rest you can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the deal runs until January 3 .

Sheilah Villari on Kinja Deals, shared by Gabe Carey to The Root

Sleep Philosophy Weighted Blanket | $38 | Macy’s
This year has been pretty stressful but the good news is it’s almost over. The bad news is it currently doesn’t look any better . If like most people you’ve been pretty anxious this year small comforts have meant the world. A weighted blanket might be a cozy solution to a stressful problem. Take $72 off of Sleep Philosophy’s Weighted Blanket for the next week.
The super-soft blanket is plush on one side and a snuggly berber on the other. This size is the smaller of the bunch from the company but still sixty inches long and fifty inches wide. It weighs in at almost eleven pounds and comes in five colors. The weight is evenly distributed to give the illusion of a light comforting hug. This will help make sleep deeper, longer, and more restful. The g lass beads in the middle are OEKO-TEX certified which means they aren’t harmful and contain no chemicals . Spot clean if it gets dirty. Don’t let blanket season pass you by without the best rest you can have.
This will ship for free and the deal runs until January 3.


theroot--2020-12-29--Anjanette Young Cancels Meeting With Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, Citing Procedural Disagreements

Yesterday , The Root reported that Anjanette Young agreed to a meeting with Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot as well as a public forum to discuss the city ’ s handling of her case .
In an effort to provide transparency and accountability , Young , her lawyer , the mayor , the police superintendent , select Chicago aldermen , and members of the media were all encouraged to attend .
Now , however , it seems those plans have been scrapped .
According to Chicago ’ s ABC7 , Lightfoot spoke at an unrelated news conference on Monday where she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that nature would violate coronavirus pandemic restrictions and potentially violate the Open Meetings Act .
While details on how to go about the meeting in a different way are still being worked out , Mayor Lightfoot also added : “ It is certainly my hope that Miss Young and I meet and meet soon.
” In a statement , Young ’ s attorney Ken Saulter canceled both the meeting with the mayor and the public forum and reiterated the fact that simple apologies would not suffice .
“ The mayor ’ s apologies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deaf ears , ” he said in a statement canceling both meetings .
He said Young would continue her lawsuit against the city .
The botched raid and the city ’ s handling of it has prompted anger from pastors , lawmakers and civil rights activists who ’ ve decried it as racist and an affront to a Black woman ’ s dignity .
Though the incident happened before Lightfoot took office in May 2019 , her administration later tried to block the video from airing on television and rejected Young ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the incident .
Young later obtained it through a lawsuit .
In the aftermath of the raid , several actions have taken place .
Chicago ’ s top attorney Mark Flessner resigned , former federal judge Anne Claire Williams was brought in by the mayor to take an outside look into the city ’ s handling of Young ’ s case , and 12 officers were placed on administrative duty with the Civilian Office of Police and NAACP also conducting an investigation of their own .

Yesterday, The Root reported that Anjanette Young agreed to a meeting with Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot as well as a public forum to discuss the city’s handling of her case. In an effort to provide transparency and accountability, Young, her lawyer, the mayor, the police superintendent, select Chicago aldermen, and members of the media were all encouraged to attend. Now, however, it seems those plans have been scrapped.
According to Chicago’s ABC7, Lightfoot spoke at an unrelated news conference on Monday where she told the press that a meeting of that nature would violate coronavirus pandemic restrictions and potentially violate the Open Meetings Act. While details on how to go about the meeting in a different way are still being worked out, Mayor Lightfoot also added: “It is certainly my hope that Miss Young and I meet and meet soon.”
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In a statement, Young’s attorney Ken Saulter canceled both the meeting with the mayor and the public forum and reiterated the fact that simple apologies would not suffice.
More from Chicago’s ABC 7:
“The mayor’s apologies without action ring hollow and fall on deaf ears,” he said in a statement canceling both meetings. He said Young would continue her lawsuit against the city. The botched raid and the city’s handling of it has prompted anger from pastors, lawmakers and civil rights activists who’ve decried it as racist and an affront to a Black woman’s dignity. Though the incident happened before Lightfoot took office in May 2019, her administration later tried to block the video from airing on television and rejected Young’s Freedom of Information Request to obtain video of the incident. Young later obtained it through a lawsuit.
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In the aftermath of the raid, several actions have taken place. Chicago’s top attorney Mark Flessner resigned, former federal judge Anne Claire Williams was brought in by the mayor to take an outside look into the city’s handling of Young’s case, and 12 officers were placed on administrative duty with the Civilian Office of Police and NAACP also conducting an investigation of their own.


theroot--2020-12-29--Master P, Baron Davis Set Out to Prove There's No Limit to Black Ownership, In Talks to Acquire Reeb

Master P, Baron Davis Set Out to Prove There's No Limit to Black Ownership, In Talks to Acquire Reebok for $2.5 Billion

With a rumored net worth of approximately $ 250 million , if Master P knows about anything , it ’ s getting to the bag .
From his No Limit empire to his various entrepreneurial pursuits spanning film and television , sports , real estate , fashion , and whatever the hell else he can flip into a profit , the “ Make ‘ Em Say Uhh !
” rapper is no joke when it comes to savvy business moves .
And now , according to ESPN and Forbes , the New Orleans native might be on the brink of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In 2005 , Adidas acquired Reebok with the hopes of commandeering a larger share of the sneaker market from Nike .
But with Reebok struggling in recent years , and its owners now looking to sell the company , Master P–born Percy Miller—and former NBA star Baron Davis are in talks to swoop in and acquire the iconic brand .
Its price tag ?
$ 2.4 billion .
“ I think Reebok is being undervalued , ” Davis told Forbes .
“ I left Nike as a 22-year-old kid representing myself and made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a chance on me as a creative and as an athlete .
I want the people I know athletes , influencers , designers , celebs to sit at the table with me.
” According to Master P , whose own No Limit Clothing was kind of a big deal in a past life , the plan to revitalize Reebok includes following in the footsteps of companies like Nike and building it out into a lifestyle brand .
“ As we focus on turning Reebok into a lifestyle brand , not just a basketball @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be to put money back into the community that built this company , ” he told Forbes .
He ’ s also acutely aware of the doors he can open for smaller sneaker and apparel companies by offering distribution and the historic implications of a company of Reebok ’ s stature shifting into a Black-owned business .
“ These companies have been benefiting off us , ” P told ESPN .
“ This could be history for this company going Black-owned.
” As previously noted , taking Reebok off of Adidas ’ hands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after months of negotiations , Davis and Master P are confident that they ’ re “ prepared financially ” to close the deal .
“ Imagine if Michael Jordan owned Reebok ?
” P told ESPN “ That ’ s what I ’ m talking about making history.
” Can Baron Davis and Master P return Reebok—which reported a 44 percent drop in sales in the second quarter of 2020 and only accounted for eight percent of Adidas ’ total sales in the first half of the year—to its former glory ?
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wise man once told me to always bet on Black , so we ’ ll keep you updated on this story .

With a rumored net worth of approximately $250 million, if Master P knows about anything, it’s getting to the bag.
From his No Limit empire to his various entrepreneurial pursuits spanning film and television, sports, real estate, fashion, and whatever the hell else he can flip into a profit, the “Make ‘Em Say Uhh!” rapper is no joke when it comes to savvy business moves. And now, according to ESPN and Forbes, the New Orleans native might be on the brink of his most lucrative power move yet.
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In 2005, Adidas acquired Reebok with the hopes of commandeering a larger share of the sneaker market from Nike. But with Reebok struggling in recent years, and its owners now looking to sell the company, Master P–born Percy Miller—and former NBA star Baron Davis are in talks to swoop in and acquire the iconic brand. Its price tag? $2.4 billion.
“I think Reebok is being undervalued,” Davis told Forbes. “I left Nike as a 22-year-old kid representing myself and made the jump to Reebok, which took a chance on me as a creative and as an athlete. I want the people I know athletes, influencers, designers, celebs to sit at the table with me.”
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According to Master P, whose own No Limit Clothing was kind of a big deal in a past life, the plan to revitalize Reebok includes following in the footsteps of companies like Nike and building it out into a lifestyle brand.
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“As we focus on turning Reebok into a lifestyle brand, not just a basketball brand, our most important initiative will be to put money back into the community that built this company,” he told Forbes.
He’s also acutely aware of the doors he can open for smaller sneaker and apparel companies by offering distribution and the historic implications of a company of Reebok’s stature shifting into a Black-owned business.
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“These companies have been benefiting off us,” P told ESPN. “This could be history for this company going Black-owned.”
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As previously noted, taking Reebok off of Adidas’ hands won’t be cheap. But after months of negotiations, Davis and Master P are confident that they’re “prepared financially” to close the deal.
“Imagine if Michael Jordan owned Reebok?” P told ESPN “That’s what I’m talking about making history.”
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Can Baron Davis and Master P return Reebok—which reported a 44 percent drop in sales in the second quarter of 2020 and only accounted for eight percent of Adidas’ total sales in the first half of the year—to its former glory? That remains to be seen. But a wise man once told me to always bet on Black, so we’ll keep you updated on this story.


theroot--2020-12-29--A Few Notes About the Georgia Runoff

A Few Notes About the Georgia Runoff

Georgia voters have begun early voting in the state ’ s U.S. Senate January runoff that will determine the balance of power in Washington .
Democrats Rev .
Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff are in tight races with their GOP opponents Sens .
Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue , respectively .
Neither candidate was able to get to the 50 percent threshold on Election Day , which is why the runoff is taking place .
More than 2 million people have already voted so far and activists on the ground are continuing to help folks who haven ’ t cast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There are a lot of moving pieces and stakes in this race , so The Root is breaking it all down for you to get a better grasp of what is happening .
Why is there a runoff in the first place ?
Under Georgia state law , candidates for office need to get 50 percent of the vote to win .
If they do not , it triggers an automatic runoff .
As The Root previously reported , Warnock , who is running against Sen. Loeffler , led all of the challengers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ explainer on what that is ) and some of his Democratic opponents were encouraged to drop out so that Warnock could reach the 50 percent threshold , making a runoff unnecessary .
No one dropped out .
Even if all of the other Democratic contenders dropped out , that would have accounted for 15.5 , if you add up all of the percentages of votes they got .
That would have given Warnock 48.4 percent in total .
Neither Ossoff , who political observers say has the more challenging race , nor Purdue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there is racism , as political consultant Christine Beatty told The Root .
“ They were put in place for African Americans , especially in Georgia , to discourage them from voting again , ” she said .
“ We ’ re one of the few states with a runoff .
The majority is usually the majority vote , whoever gets the most votes wins .
The history of that is steeped in racism.
” According to CNBC , the original intent of the law was to weaken the power of Black voters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the county unit system , formalized in 1917 but introduced informally in 1898 , which gave more voting power to mostly white and less populated areas of the state .
Votes were allotted to candidates by county , essentially making it an Electoral College system through which to elect candidates to office .
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1962 that the system was unconstitutional under the Equal Protection Clause .
Georgia State Rep. Denmark Grover blamed his 1958 loss to Black voters , thus introducing the runoff system in the legislature in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The runoff system became law and stands to this day .
Nse Ufot of the New Georgia Project told The Root that she and other activists are getting death threats for organizing people to vote in January .
People claiming to be members of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and investigators from the secretary of state ’ s office have regularly stopped Ufot and other organizers .
Ufot has security at her home and the organization has a detail at her office .
“ I want to be really clear : The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” she said .
“ I ’ m very proud of our team .
I ’ m very proud of where our state is right now .
We will not be deterred , but I am hyper-aware of the waters that we ’ re swimming in .
There ’ s been a ton of de-escalation training , so we aren ’ t encouraging our people to be heroes .
We aren ’ t encouraging our people to be martyrs .
I would argue that the work of the president , these two Senate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ national Republicans and right-wing media are absolutely fanning these flames .
And it ’ s a problem.
” Why is this race so important ?
Republicans control the U.S. Senate , and if Democrats do not win both of those seats , the GOP can make life for president-elect Joe Biden very miserable—just as they did for his former boss , Barack Obama .
So far , Democrats have 46 seats to the GOP ’ s 50 .
It is important to note that there are two independent senators , Bernie Sanders of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who caucus with Democrats regularly , essentially giving Democrats 48 seats .
If Warnock and Ossoff win , that will give Democrats 50 seats and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris will be able to break any ties , making her office uniquely important and influential .
Sen .
Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ( R-Ky. ) has essentially been the leader of mass obstruction when it comes to pushing forward any progressive legislation .
Hundreds of bills continue to linger in the Senate because McConnell simply has not called votes on them .
Democrats have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of $ 2,000 checks in pandemic relief ( the House approved the amount yesterday ) , and the Equality Act , a bipartisan gun control background check bill , as well as the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2019 all remain in limbo .
With Democrats in the majority , those bills can move for a vote .
Beyond that , a GOP Senate will have power to counter any nominations Biden has for the judiciary .
Even with a House controlled by Democrats , unless the Senate approves the nomination , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Georgians , if they send Ossoff and Warnock to Washington , will give Biden the power he needs to pass legislation under his agenda .
Will voters turn out for a second election ?
They already have .
Nearly 2.1 million people voted early so far ; around 4 million voted early in November .
Part of the challenge is voter fatigue , something Ufot said there is no getting around , acknowledging that the job of organizers is to stress how crucial this runoff is .
“ We ’ re giving rides @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that barrier for people participating and direct voter contact , she said .
“ We ’ re going back to the people who we touched throughout 2020 , it ’ s our 10 touch strategies .
We try to touch the people that we ’ ve registered to vote 10 times , reminding them to vote , reminding them to bring people with them for the polls .
And so some of those touches include phone calls , text messages , and high-quality face-to-face conversations on the doors .
We ’ re sending @ @ @ @ @ @ @ digital ads and all of it is designed to be just this side of annoying , so that folks know how important this moment is and that they show up to vote.
” Andra Gillespie , assistant professor of political science at Emory University , told The Root that while numbers are pretty high for this runoff , generally it is very difficult to get folks out a second time—especially for voting outside traditional cycles .
Voters who come out for runoffs are usually the types of die-hard , regular voters who show @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elections where people vote for mundane ordinances in months when people aren ’ t paying attention .
It ’ s a rarefied electorate , Gillespie said .
What is making this runoff competitive , Gillespie said , are the activists who converted all of the state ’ s unregistered people of color into voters .
“ It ’ s that activity that started to change the demographic nature of the electorate , which made Democrats more competitive , ” she said .
All of a sudden , those double-digit margins by which Republicans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ margins , then started to shrink within a point or two of winning races and culminated in Joe Biden being able to pull off a narrow victory in the state .
Georgia is diverse , but that diversity wouldn ’ t have translated into political power if somebody hadn ’ t identified the fact that they would all be potential voters who weren ’ t voting , and got them to vote.
” The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported in 2019 that Georgia could become a majority-minority state by 2028 , with much of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the South .
Then there is the growing immigrant population , a demographic Stacey Abrams targeted aggressively in 2018 .
Xan-Rhea Bilal , a field organizer for Georgia Muslim Voter Project said her organization has been engaging Muslim communities in Atlanta and the surrounding counties since 2015 .
She educates people in mosques , schools , or any place she can target Muslims .
Seniors and kids soon-to-be 18-years-old are especially critical in her outreach .
The number one challenge Bilal has is shared by other organizers : fatigue .
“ Georgia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ types of elections , ” she said .
“ We ’ re not used to being a swing state.
” Individually , who has a better shot of winning ?
Ossoff or Warnock ?
Warnock comfortably led the pack in his jungle primary , while Ossoff barely trailed Perdue in his race .
Beatty , the political consultant , said Loeffler is the more vulnerable of the two GOP senators and Warnock has a story that most Georgians can relate to .
She cites his television ads , candor and how he preempted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ series of television commercials .
“ It is a great strategy .
It gives you a leg up , ” she said .
“ He stayed consistent .
He really has taken his message to the heart of who he is , which is born and raised in Atlanta .
‘ My father is in the military .
My mother ’ s working class .
We are from here .
I know what the struggles are of folks here and I can relate .
I ’ m going to advocate on your behalf.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ has more concerns for Ossoff , who she said will have a tougher time with getting crossover voters because Purdue is a more formidable candidate .
“ Loeffler is an easier target to overcome for Dems with Independents , ” she said .
“ That ’ s really what it is .
Are you going to motivate your base to the polls and then can you get Independents to cross over .
I think it ’ s easier with Warnock to do that.
” This runoff is new turf for everyone , so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will cast their ballots .
Activists have told The Root over the past few weeks their top strategy is turnout—in record numbers .
Again .
Regardless of who wins , the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that it is very possible that the losers would file for a recount of the votes if the outcomes are close .
More lawsuits could ensue , making Georgia a microcosm of Election Day where people in the state—and the nation—will have to wait until the dust settles .
To top it off , all of these possibilities could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This is just a hypothetical situation , of course .
The main thing to understand is that Georgia is in play for Democrats and these types of close races are likely to continue , so consider this election cycle a test run for the newest swing state in the union .

Georgia voters have begun early voting in the state’s U.S. Senate January runoff that will determine the balance of power in Washington. Democrats Rev. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff are in tight races with their GOP opponents Sens. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue, respectively. Neither candidate was able to get to the 50 percent threshold on Election Day, which is why the runoff is taking place. More than 2 million people have already voted so far and activists on the ground are continuing to help folks who haven’t cast a ballot get to the polls.
There are a lot of moving pieces and stakes in this race, so The Root is breaking it all down for you to get a better grasp of what is happening.
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Why is there a runoff in the first place?
Under Georgia state law, candidates for office need to get 50 percent of the vote to win. If they do not, it triggers an automatic runoff. As The Root previously reported, Warnock, who is running against Sen. Loeffler, led all of the challengers in his jungle primary (read our explainer on what that is) and some of his Democratic opponents were encouraged to drop out so that Warnock could reach the 50 percent threshold, making a runoff unnecessary. No one dropped out. Even if all of the other Democratic contenders dropped out, that would have accounted for 15.5, if you add up all of the percentages of votes they got. That would have given Warnock 48.4 percent in total. Neither Ossoff, who political observers say has the more challenging race, nor Purdue got to 50 percent.
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Then, there is racism, as political consultant Christine Beatty told The Root.
“They were put in place for African Americans, especially in Georgia, to discourage them from voting again,” she said. “We’re one of the few states with a runoff. The majority is usually the majority vote, whoever gets the most votes wins. The history of that is steeped in racism.”
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According to CNBC, the original intent of the law was to weaken the power of Black voters after Reconstruction. It first started with the county unit system, formalized in 1917 but introduced informally in 1898, which gave more voting power to mostly white and less populated areas of the state. Votes were allotted to candidates by county, essentially making it an Electoral College system through which to elect candidates to office. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1962 that the system was unconstitutional under the Equal Protection Clause. Georgia State Rep. Denmark Grover blamed his 1958 loss to Black voters, thus introducing the runoff system in the legislature in 1964 after he won back his seat.
The runoff system became law and stands to this day.
Nse Ufot of the New Georgia Project told The Root that she and other activists are getting death threats for organizing people to vote in January. People claiming to be members of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and investigators from the secretary of state’s office have regularly stopped Ufot and other organizers. Ufot has security at her home and the organization has a detail at her office.
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“I want to be really clear: The work that we do is important,” she said. “I’m very proud of our team. I’m very proud of where our state is right now. We will not be deterred, but I am hyper-aware of the waters that we’re swimming in. There’s been a ton of de-escalation training, so we aren’t encouraging our people to be heroes. We aren’t encouraging our people to be martyrs. I would argue that the work of the president, these two Senate candidates, Loeffler and Perdue, and national Republicans and right-wing media are absolutely fanning these flames. And it’s a problem.”
Why is this race so important?
Republicans control the U.S. Senate, and if Democrats do not win both of those seats, the GOP can make life for president-elect Joe Biden very miserable—just as they did for his former boss, Barack Obama. So far, Democrats have 46 seats to the GOP’s 50. It is important to note that there are two independent senators, Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Angus King of Maine, who caucus with Democrats regularly, essentially giving Democrats 48 seats. If Warnock and Ossoff win, that will give Democrats 50 seats and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris will be able to break any ties, making her office uniquely important and influential.
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Sen. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has essentially been the leader of mass obstruction when it comes to pushing forward any progressive legislation. Hundreds of bills continue to linger in the Senate because McConnell simply has not called votes on them. Democrats have long called for Americans to get upwards of $2,000 checks in pandemic relief (the House approved the amount yesterday), and the Equality Act, a bipartisan gun control background check bill, as well as the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2019 all remain in limbo. With Democrats in the majority, those bills can move for a vote.
Beyond that, a GOP Senate will have power to counter any nominations Biden has for the judiciary. Even with a House controlled by Democrats, unless the Senate approves the nomination, Biden’s hands are tied. Georgians, if they send Ossoff and Warnock to Washington, will give Biden the power he needs to pass legislation under his agenda.
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Will voters turn out for a second election?
They already have. Nearly 2.1 million people voted early so far; around 4 million voted early in November. Part of the challenge is voter fatigue, something Ufot said there is no getting around, acknowledging that the job of organizers is to stress how crucial this runoff is.
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“We’re giving rides to the polls, trying to eliminate that barrier for people participating and direct voter contact, she said. “We’re going back to the people who we touched throughout 2020, it’s our 10 touch strategies. We try to touch the people that we’ve registered to vote 10 times, reminding them to vote, reminding them to bring people with them for the polls. And so some of those touches include phone calls, text messages, and high-quality face-to-face conversations on the doors. We’re sending out postcards. We have these amazing digital ads and all of it is designed to be just this side of annoying, so that folks know how important this moment is and that they show up to vote.”
Andra Gillespie, assistant professor of political science at Emory University, told The Root that while numbers are pretty high for this runoff, generally it is very difficult to get folks out a second time—especially for voting outside traditional cycles. Voters who come out for runoffs are usually the types of die-hard , regular voters who show up at primaries and vote in municipal elections where people vote for mundane ordinances in months when people aren’t paying attention. It’s a rarefied electorate, Gillespie said.
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What is making this runoff competitive, Gillespie said, are the activists who converted all of the state’s unregistered people of color into voters.
“It’s that activity that started to change the demographic nature of the electorate, which made Democrats more competitive,” she said. All of a sudden, those double-digit margins by which Republicans were winning started to shrink to single-digit margins, then started to shrink within a point or two of winning races and culminated in Joe Biden being able to pull off a narrow victory in the state. Georgia is diverse, but that diversity wouldn’t have translated into political power if somebody hadn’t identified the fact that they would all be potential voters who weren’t voting, and got them to vote.”
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The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported in 2019 that Georgia could become a majority-minority state by 2028, with much of the growth coming from Black Americans moving back to the South. Then there is the growing immigrant population, a demographic Stacey Abrams targeted aggressively in 2018. Xan-Rhea Bilal, a field organizer for Georgia Muslim Voter Project said her organization has been engaging Muslim communities in Atlanta and the surrounding counties since 2015. She educates people in mosques, schools, or any place she can target Muslims. Seniors and kids soon-to-be 18-years-old are especially critical in her outreach.
The number one challenge Bilal has is shared by other organizers: fatigue.
“Georgia isn’t really used to these types of elections,” she said. “We’re not used to being a swing state.”
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Individually, who has a better shot of winning? Ossoff or Warnock?
Warnock comfortably led the pack in his jungle primary, while Ossoff barely trailed Perdue in his race. Beatty, the political consultant, said Loeffler is the more vulnerable of the two GOP senators and Warnock has a story that most Georgians can relate to.
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She cites his television ads, candor and how he preempted Loeffler’s attacks in his first series of television commercials. “It is a great strategy. It gives you a leg up,” she said. “He stayed consistent. He really has taken his message to the heart of who he is, which is born and raised in Atlanta. ‘My father is in the military. My mother’s working class. We are from here. I know what the struggles are of folks here and I can relate. I’m going to advocate on your behalf.’ His messaging is great.”
Beatty has more concerns for Ossoff, who she said will have a tougher time with getting crossover voters because Purdue is a more formidable candidate.
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“Loeffler is an easier target to overcome for Dems with Independents,” she said. “That’s really what it is. Are you going to motivate your base to the polls and then can you get Independents to cross over. I think it’s easier with Warnock to do that.”
This runoff is new turf for everyone, so there is really no telling how voters will cast their ballots. Activists have told The Root over the past few weeks their top strategy is turnout—in record numbers. Again.
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In closing…
Regardless of who wins, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that it is very possible that the losers would file for a recount of the votes if the outcomes are close. More lawsuits could ensue, making Georgia a microcosm of Election Day where people in the state—and the nation—will have to wait until the dust settles. To top it off, all of these possibilities could happen while Trump continues his tantrum.
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This is just a hypothetical situation, of course. The main thing to understand is that Georgia is in play for Democrats and these types of close races are likely to continue, so consider this election cycle a test run for the newest swing state in the union.