newsqueak. BLM Denounces Democrats for 'Anointing' Kamala Harris, 23 July

Black Lives Matter Statement on Kamala Harris Securing Enough Delegates to Become Democratic Nominee
Washington D.C. - Black Lives Matter demands that the Democratic National Committee (DNC) immediately host an informal, virtual snap primary across the country prior to the DNC convention in August. We call for the Rules Committee to create a process that allows for public participation in the nomination process, not just a nomination by party delegates. The current political landscape is unprecedented, with President Biden stepping aside in a manner never seen before. This moment calls for decisive action to protect the integrity of our democracy and the voices of Black voters.

While Joe Biden wasn't our preferred candidate, we cannot ignore the troubling actions of the Democratic Party:

• The DNC refused to host debates during the primary, even though a vast majority of Democratic voters wanted them. This would have likely allowed America to see the decline of Joe Biden in 2023.
• The DNC changed the primary schedule and created rules that made it almost impossible for non-Biden candidates to appear on the ballot, effectively clearing the field of any challengers to the incumbent president.
• Following the primary where millions of Black voters weighed in, after one poor debate performance, the DNC Party elites and billionaire donors bullied Joe Biden out of the race.
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D'Zhane Parker, a Black Lives Matter leader, said: ...Let us be clear: This is about the Democratic Party following a process that protects the legitimacy of any future Democratic president following this unprecedented moment. Installing Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee and an unknown vice president without any public voting process would make the modern Democratic Party a party of hypocrites. It would undermine their credibility on issues related to democracy. Imagine our first Black woman president not having won some sort of public nomination process. The pundits would immediately label it as affirmative action or a DEI move, and any progress made by a President Harris would be on shaky foundations. If Kamala Harris is to be the nominee, it must be through a process that upholds democratic principles and public participation.

Reflecting on history, we remember Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman to run for the Democratic nomination for president in 1972. She faced significant opposition from the party establishment, underscoring the need to stand firm against undemocratic practices today. Since 1972, presidential candidates have needed to undergo a vote by the public to receive the nomination, which replaced the era when party bosses controlled the nomination process. Binding primaries were established to ensure that the nominee reflected the will of the people rather than party elites.
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Harris' campaign has raked in $126 million since Sunday, with millions coming from the rapid mobilization of Black leaders and advocates. She would be the < wipes tears > first Black woman and Asian American to become the Democratic presidential candidate. Democratic National Committee Chairman Jaime Harrison said Monday the Democratic party will deliver a presidential nominee by < wipes tears > transparent," Harrison said in a Today Show interview Aug. 7.

"The process has been fair. It's been open. It's been < wipes tears > transparent," Harrison said in a [NBC broadcast] Today Show [404] interview that aired Tuesday morning. "But if anybody is thinking about running, you're running against the sitting vice president, who, along with Joe Biden, has worked really hard going across this country building relationships and is probably the most qualified person to be on this ballot."

The DNC and Harris' campaign did not reply immediately to request for comment.