baratunde.com

cross-posted to Jack & Jill Politics under "Jack Turner"

Continuing with the series of YearlyKos video interviews, we've got Bruce Dixon, managing editor of Black Agenda Report. Bruce sat on a panel titled, "The Changing Dynamics of Diversity in Progressive Politics" which was moderated by Cheryl Contee and Tanya Tarr, and included Eric Byler and Adam Luna.

During the panel, Bruce made the comment that "diversity is a ho" explaining that anyone who wants to put a black face in a rare place can do so in the name of diversity without necessarily supporting the represented communities (e.g. Colin Powell or Condi Rice). In this first part of a three-part interview, Bruce expands on his statement and challenges the netroots focus on getting candidates elected because, as he put it, "Electing candidates does not necessarily advance the agenda of black communities... [for example] since the candidates won't talk about the incarceration rate, it's hard to think that electing candidates is going to make a difference."

Here's the interview segment (2 minutes)



What do you think of the netroots focus on fundraising and other election-focused activities and its potential impact on the "black agenda?"

Should our next steps be an "Act Black" version of "Act Blue" to get the right folks elected?

Could we be more creative and raise funds for grassroots organizations like the Ella Baker Center in Oakland, Calif (which deals with youth imprisonment) or a legal defense fund for the Jena Six (an idea proposed in the YearlyKos black caucus meeting) or New Orleans activism?

Discuss!

Note: there are two additional parts to this interview including a discussion of immigration dynamics between black and brown folks and more about Black Agenda Report, CBC Monitor and the upcoming CBC Week.