OPINION: Taking Kamala Harris Up on Writing Assignment
Kaleem Shabazz. Photo courtesy City of Atlantic City
OPINION
By Kaleem Shabazz | Atlantic City Third Ward Council Member and Council Vice President
I have had so many blessings in my life. I was fortunate to be raised in a stable two parent home, and I frequently tell people that I did not realize that I was poor until I went to Cheyney University, then Cheney State College and took Principles of Sociology with Professor Van Til.
My brother Larry and I, through strong words from our father and mother about staying out of trouble, were able to escape the criminal justice system. I can still hear my beloved mother telling us that our “beloved father doesn’t visit people in jail.”
Later in life that was reinforced by the leadership of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, who told his followers and all African Americans, “if you are right, we are with you, if you are wrong, you are wrong by yourself.”
I have been privileged to be married to the same “strong African American woman for over 50 years.” I have a daughter who is close enough to think she is my boss. I have two amazing African American grandsons, who have avoided involvement with the criminal justice system. These two “young dudes” have both achieved master’s degrees and meaningful employment.
And finally, I am extremely blessed, thrilled, and excited to be a great grandfather to Hunter (born November 12, 2023).
With all the blessings in my individual life, I am intrigued and excited by the assignment our next president, Kamala Harris, gave to two U.S. Senators — Senior New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker and Georgia Sen. Rev. Raphael Warnock — at the historical vote to approve justice Ketanji Brown Jackson on the Supreme Court.
Harris, who was presiding over the Senate, called Booker and Warnock to her chair and gave them each an assignment to write a letter to a young woman of color in your life about this historical moment, the elevation of Justice Jackson to the Supreme Court.
I plan to take our Vice President Kamala Harris up on her writing assignment as we approach another historical event in America.
We can all play our part by electing the first woman and more importantly the first woman of color to the office of president. Let us resolve to reach out to our families, friends, neighbors, and our extended circle to make history, Kamala Harris for president.
Let us work, write our letters to young people in our lives and make America better. As we work and count down the days to the presidential election, I am going to take Vice President Harris’s assignment, and ever expand on it. I am going to write a letter to Hunter and tell him how I am working to register people, energize voters and make sure Kamala Harris becomes our next president.
My hope is that when Hunter turns 4 years old, President Harris’s will be completing her first term as the President of the United States. If I am blessed to still be here when that happens, we will talk about the 2024 election and its historical significance.
I see the Obama coalition coming together across this great country, and the people who are concerned about the appeal of hate and racism to vote for change. Recently when I spoke to a group of students, a young man said to me, “Councilman, our choice is between an AKA [Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority] and a KKK.”
I am for the AKA, a qualified, compassionate, experienced governmental leader. Get your letter ready, we have an assignment from Madam Vice President, soon to be Madam President.
EDITOR’S DISCLAIMER: Kaleem Shabazz is also president of the Atlantic City NAACP. The views expressed in his opinion column are his own and does not reflect the views of Front Runner New Jersey.com and AC JosepH Media. FRNJ and AC JosepH Media welcomes all opinions from readers on the topics of diversity and inclusion.
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