President-Elect Biden picks Jaime Harrison as the next chair of the Democratic National Committee

President-elect Joe Biden on Thursday named Jaime Harrison, a former South Carolina Democratic Party chair and 2020 Senate candidate, as his pick for the next chair of the Democratic National Committee.

Harrison has long been seen as the only candidate for the job. He will still be required to face an election by DNC members, but a win is almost a forgone conclusion with the support of the incoming president. DNC members will vote during a virtual meeting on January 21 -- the day after Biden's inauguration.

Harrison was believed to be a strong pick by Democrats because he has held a number of party roles -- state chair, DNC officer, candidate -- and is viewed as someone who understands what it is like to be a Democrat in a red state where the investment is needed.

Harrison released a statement via Twitter on his appointment:

I’m humbled and excited that @JoeBiden has chosen me to lead @TheDemocrats.

Together, we’ll organize everywhere, invest in state parties, expand the map, and elect Democrats who will be champions for the working people of this country.

— Jaime Harrison (@harrisonjaime) January 14, 2021

Obama to hold first DNC fundraiser since leaving office

It's no secret that Democrats have been slacking in the fundraising department since President Obama left office. Well, now there's hope that fundraising will pick up with Obama holding his first of what will hopefully be multiple fundraisers since leaving office.

Former President Obama is reportedly set to hold his first fundraising event for the Democratic National Committee (DNC) since leaving the White House.

The event, which will take place in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 27, will help fund state parties and upcoming Virginia races, CNN reported on Friday.

The fundraiser marks Obama's second political event since leaving office, the first being in July for the National Democratic Redistricting Committee.

[SOURCE: THE HILL]

Black Female Democrats Pen Open Letter About Lack of DNC Support

Dozens of black, female Democratic activists and leaders have written an open letter to Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chair Tom Perez about the lack of support they receive from the party. Signatories include state and federal lawmakers like Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio) and Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.).


Read that letter below:

Dear Chairman Tom Perez:

Black women have consistently shown up for Democrats as a loyal voting bloc, demonstrating time and again that we are crucial to the protection of progressive policies such as economic security, affordable healthcare and criminal justice reform.

We have voted and organized our communities with little support or investment from the Democratic Party for voter mobilization efforts. We have shown how Black women lead, yet the Party's leadership from Washington to the state parties have few or no Black women in leadership. More and more, Black women are running for office and winning elections — with scant support from Democratic Party infrastructure.

Well, like civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer, who testified at the 1964 Democratic convention demanding Blacks have a seat and voice within the Party, we are "sick and tired of being sick and tired."

The Democratic Party has a real problem. The data reveals that Black women voters are the very foundation to a winning coalition, yet most Black voters feel like the Democrats take them for granted. The Party's foundation has a growing crack and if it is not addressed quickly, the Party will fall even further behind and ultimately fail in its quest to strengthen its political prospects.

Investing in Black women's political leadership is a solid return on investment, one that is rooted in facts and data. In recent years, Black women have proven to be the most active voting demographic in the nation. In 2008 and 2012, 70 percent of eligible Black women cast ballots, accounting for the highest voter turnout of any racial or gender group, proving that our voting power can and has determined elections. A closer look at the data shows that in 2012 Barack Obama won re-election by 4.9 million votes.

The 115th Congress has 20 Black women—the largest number in history. The group includes Kamala Harris, who is the second Black woman to serve in the U.S. Senate, a body that has not had a Black woman's voice in 20 years. In addition, Lisa Blunt Rochester became the first woman and Black person to represent Delaware in the U.S. House of Representatives.Black women cast a total of 11.4 million ballots, providing the margin he needed to win. This past November, even with a clear lack of voter mobilization investment and a decrease in overall Black voter turnout, 94 percent of Black women voted to keep this country moving forward by casting ballots for Hillary Clinton. In addition, on November 8th we saw important elected-office gains by Black women despite the otherwise dismal defeat of progressives during the general election.

Black women also made important progressive wins in Minnesota, where IIhan Omar became the first Somali-American Muslim elected to the state legislature; Kentucky, where Attica Scott became the first woman elected to the state legislature in 20 years; Cook County IL, where Kim Foxx was elected state's attorney; Orange County FL elected Aramis Ayala the first Black state's attorney in the Florida's history; the state of Texas elected its first woman Sheriff, Zena Stephens; and Jefferson County, AL elected nine Black women to the judicial branch.

This February, in the DNC elections, we saw an increase in overall diversity within the officer ranks, but no increase in leadership representation of Black women. Since taking office, you have met with and listened to key constituencies. But you have yet to host a Black women leaders convening.

Organizing without the engagement of Black women will prove to be a losing strategy, and there is much too much at stake for the Democratic Party to ignore Black women. Following your recent announcement of your top staff hire, we are left with significant concerns about how the Party is developing its strategies and allocating its resources. In the absence of our inclusion in discussions about the Party's forward movement, we question whether the Party values our loyalty and takes our commitment seriously.

In this termed "movement building moment," how will you lead the Democrats forward? Will Black women be among those at the helm, helping to design the strategies, craft the message, mobilize troops, and lead the way - as policymakers, political strategists, activists, and elected officials?

We respectfully request that you convene a meeting with Black women leaders and activists where you can hear not only our concerns, but also our thoughts on how the DNC can invest in Black women's engagement and leadership moving forward from hiring of key staff and consultants to investment in training and leadership opportunities.

The time is now for progressive power brokers and the very Party that we have carried on our back to the voting booth, year in and year out, to make a sustained and substantial investment in our leadership and priorities.

We have demonstrated our commitment to the Party. It is time for the Party to demonstrate its commitment to us. We stand ready to join you, your team, and Party leadership on the front lines — but not as silent partners.

In service,

Anita Estell

Avis A. Jones-DeWeever, Ph.D. - Founder, Exceptional Leadership Institute for Women

Carol McDonald

Christina M. Greer, PhD

Dana Vickers Shelley

Glynda Carr - Co-Founder, Higher Heights for America

Kimberly Peeler-Allen - Co-Founder, Higher Heights for America

Khalilah Brown-Dean, PhD

L. Joy Williams

Marcela E. Howell

Melanie L. Campbell

Nakisha M. Lewis - Co-Founder #SheWoke Committee

Roslyn M. Brock - Chairman Emeritus, NAACP

Star Jones

Sydney Kamlager-Dove - Vice President, Los Angeles Community College District

Tamika Mallory

Zina Pierre

Delegate Lashreces Aird - Virginia

Delegate Marcia Price - Virginia

Delegate Pam Queen - Maryland

State Senator Holly Mitchell- California

State Representative Kathy Sykes - Mississippi

State Representative Laura Hall - Alabama

State Representative Rena Moran - Minnesota

Honorable Marcia Fudge - (D-OH)

Honorable Joyce Beatty - (D-OH)

Honorable Bonnie Watson Coleman - (D-NJ)

Honorable Eddie Bernice Johnson - (D-TX)

Honorable Barbara Lee - (D-CA)

Honorable Stacey Plaskett - (D-NY)

Honorable Yvette Clarke - (D-CA)

Newly elected DNC chair appoints Ellison DNC deputy chair

Newly elected DNC chairman Tom Perez started off his term with a show of party unity by appointing Keith Ellison as DNC deputy chair. In the interest of full disclosure I supported Ellison but am now fully behind Perez because party unity is the ONLY way forward. Congratulations to both men and I believe that both will be successful in leading the Democratic Party back to prominence.

From thehill.com

Tom Perez used his first motion as chairman of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) on Saturday to appoint his top rival for the position, Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), as deputy chair of the DNC.

"I would like to begin by making a motion, it is a motion that I have discussed with a good friend, and his name is Keith Ellison," Perez said during his acceptance speech, announcing the appointment.

"Did I hear a second?" asked Perez, the former Labor secretary during the Obama administration.

"Second!" the DNC audience shouted.

Ellison and Perez embraced. When Ellison took to the mic, he congratulated Perez for "successfully passing his first motion" and called on his supporters to back the new DNC chairman.

“We don’t have the luxury to walk out of this room divided,” Ellison said during his speech. “If we waste even a moment of going at it over who supported who, we are not going to be standing up for those people."

Interview with Jaime Harrison: Candidate for National Democratic Committee Chairman

By George L. Cook III African American Reports

While most of us may have heard that both Keith Ellison and Thomas Perez are vying to become DNC chairman, many more of us aren't aware of other candidates running for that position. One such candidate is South Carolina Democratic Party Chair Jaime Harrison. Once I became aware that he was running I reached out to him via Twitter to set up a interview and he quickly responded to my request. Check out my interview with Chairman Jaime Harrison on why he believes that he is the right person to be DNC chair below.

George Cook African American reports: Please introduce yourself and give us a little background on Jaime Harrison.

Jaime Harrison: I think I understand the challenges of so many Americans who feel disconnected and disaffected, because I grew up under similar circumstances. I understand we have to grow the Democratic Party from the ground up at the in every community.

I was born to a teen mom in rural South Carolina. My mom would often have to travel to Atlanta to find work. During those times, I was largely raised by my grandparents.

While my family struggled economically, they poured all of their resources into providing me with the best life possible. My childhood memories are not of struggle and poverty—they are memories of comic books, my grandmother’s lima beans and ham hocks, and the loving relatives who worked tirelessly to provide me with the opportunities they were not afforded.

I did whatever it took to make sure I made the most of my opportunities—whether it was thumbing through comic books and my grandparents’ bills to improve my reading skills, or studying furiously to try to impress my teachers.

My hard work and my family’s sacrifice paid off when, after months of walking to the mailbox to check for that thick, yellow envelope, I was accepted to Yale University—making me the first person in my family to attend college.

At Yale, I struggled initially. My first semester, I found myself well behind the other students, many of whom came from elite prep schools and wealthy families. But after a rough start, I put in the extra time and work and watched my grades slowly, but surely, trend upward.

Throughout my career, I have worked to provide mentorship and guidance and create opportunity for young people in the same situation where I began. After graduating from Yale, I returned to South Carolina to teach 9th grade social studies at my alma mater, Orangeburg-Wilkinson High School.

In 1999, I moved to Washington, DC to become the COO of College Summit, a national non-profit dedicated to helping low-income students get into college. And after graduating from law school at Georgetown, I joined the staff of Congressman James E. Clyburn, my hometown Congressman.

Under Congressman Clyburn, I served as Executive Director of the House Democratic Caucus and as Floor Director for the House Majority Whip. During my time as Floor Director, I was responsible for securing 218 votes to pass every piece of legislation that came to the House floor. The House passed the most progressive agenda in a generation, including a minimum wage increase, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act, and legislation withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq. And we never lost a party-line vote.

After I leaving Capitol Hill, I joined the Podesta Group, working on transportation and other issues from racial reconciliation to deepening Charleston Harbor.

In 2013, following my return to South Carolina, I was elected Chair of the South Carolina Democratic Party. As Chair, I have overseen successful initiatives such as the John Spratt Issues Conference, James E. Clyburn Political Fellowship, the 2016 First in the South Democratic Primary, and SC Democrats Care.

I live in Columbia with my wife Marie, a law professor at the University of South Carolina School of Law, and our 2-year-old son. He is my biggest motivation for bringing Democrats back into power so we can build the country that all children deserve, where everyone has the opportunities like I did to live the American Dream.

George Cook African American reports:Why are you running for DNC chair? what can you bring that other candidates can not?

Jaime Harrison: I am running for DNC Chair because we need to rebuild our Party from the grassroots in every community in America. With Trump and the Republicans in full control of the federal government and dominant in the states, the stakes for our country could not be higher. I believe I have a unique set of skills and experiences that will serve the DNC well.

As a State Party Chair in a red state, I know the struggles that each State Party encounters. I know what it’s like to fight to keep the doors open, meet a payroll each month, and conduct effective party building efforts. In 2018, have several U.S. Senate and governor's races in states that Donald Trump won in 2016. To win, strong State Parties will be essential. I know what we need to do to improve.

I also have experience in Washington, DC and with uniting diverse group of Democrats. As I mentioned earlier, as Floor Director for Majority Whip Clyburn, I had to corral 218 votes to pass every piece of legislation we brought to the floor for a vote. In the 110th Congress (which had a Democratic majority from every part of the country thanks to Howard Dean's 50-State Strategy), the Democratic Caucus was incredibly diverse with regard to ideology, region, and ethnicity. There was little margin for error, but we never lost a party-line vote during my time as Floor Director. I know I can unite the Democratic Party now because I've done it before.

I know what it takes to build an organization from the ground up. When I was 23 years old, I started working at College Summit, a non-profit organization that helps low-income students go to college. When I started as COO, there were four of us in one office in Washington. Over the next decade, as COO and then as a member of the Board of Directors, I helped College Summit expand nationwide to serve thousands of students. President Obama even donated a portion of his Nobel Peace Prize award to the organization.

George Cook African American reports: What would be your top three priorities as chairman?

Jaime Harrison: My top three priorities are reinvesting in State Parties with a revitalized 50-State Strategy; re-connecting the Democratic Party with our communities; and protecting and enhancing our democracy.

In 2006 and 2008, we took back Congress and the presidency because of Howard Dean's 50-State Strategy. But then we abandoned it. As Chair, I will invest in all 50 State Parties (plus those in the territories and Democrats Abroad) by increasing the State Partnership Program to $12,000 a month and easing restrictions on how that money is spent. I will also ensure that we provide State Parties with professional and specialized operations, capabilities, and in-kind services on a permanent basis through regional Caucus hubs, i.e., provide political, press, fundraising, and tech staff dedicated to serve state parties in each region.

If we want to rebuild people's trust in the Democratic Party, we can't just tell people we care about improving their lives; we have to show them. We can no longer be a political organization looking for votes every two or four years; we must become a community organization working in our neighborhoods with grassroots activists addressing the day-to-day issues faced by middle and working class voters.

Relatedly, we need candidates and Party activists who come from every community. In South Carolina, we have established the Clyburn Fellowship, bringing together dynamic young leaders from throughout our state to participate in a rigorous nine-month training program to prepare them to run for office, manage campaigns, and lead local parties. The DNC must ensure that similar programs exist nationwide to groom candidates who can speak to the concerns of their constituents.

Our democracy is threatened on a number of fronts, and the DNC must lead the fight on all of them. We must back against the Republicans' undemocratic and un-American efforts to suppress voting. We must fight to overturn Citizens United and related cases and enact real reform to get big money out of politics. As we fight, I will cultivate small-dollar donors to the Democratic Party at every level. The DNC must fight Republican gerrymandering, so that voters pick their politicians, not the other way around. We have to fix the undemocratic Electoral College so that the candidate with the most votes wins.

We need to start improving our democracy now—in states where Democrats are in control, we should create laboratories for democracy so that every eligible voter has access to a meaningful ballot. In fighting assaults on our democracy, as with all of these fights, can't just be reactive; we have to be proactive.

George Cook African American reports: Where can readers find out more about you?

You can visit my website, jaimefordncchair.com, and find me on Twitter at @harrison4DNC and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/JaimeforDNC. Your suggestions and feedback are welcome!

This interview does not constitute an endorsement of Chairman Harrison by either George L. Cook III or African American Reports

Nation of Islam not happy with Keith Ellison

In a move they may actually help Keith Ellison in his bid to become DNC chair, the Nation of Islam has written an editorial that condemns Ellison for what the organization claims is his smearing of Minister Louis Farrakhan. Read that editorial below.

Minnesota congressman Keith Ellison is seeking to lead the Democratic National Committee as the party seeks someone to bring Democrats into the political Promised Land. There is nothing wrong with Rep. Ellison’s desire to move his party forward or his desire to help make America progress.

But he must be condemned and lambasted for trying to make his political bones by smearing the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan. The Minnesota congressman has been attacked for a connection with the Nation of Islam years ago, while in college and for support of the Million Man March.

The Anti-Defamation League and others have branded Rep. Ellison as unfit for office, saying he is tainted by the anti-Semitism of Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam. Given that neither the Minister nor the Nation are anti-Semitic, a man with principles and courage would have stood up on the truth, the track record and the history of the Minister and his followers. Over the past 40 years, the Nation and the Minister have not harmed nor prohibited any Jewish person from exercising their rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. It was not Muslims who chanted in the 1980s, “Who do you want? Farrakhan! How do you want him? Dead!” as the Jewish Defense Organization did. It was not the Nation of Islam nor the Minister who were involved in a 1990s alleged death plot featuring Jewish federal stooge Michael Fitzpatrick. Mr. Fitzpatrick seized on the pain and vulnerability of Quibilah Shabazz, a daughter of Malcolm X, and federal authorities charged her with planning the murder of the Minister. It was the Minister whose blast of truth shook the feds as he declared the FBI has never been his friend. The Minister declared he wanted nothing to happen to Malcolm X widow Dr. Betty Shabazz, or her daughters and pulled the covers off of an old enemy, while seeking reconciliation. His stand was so incredible the feds essentially dropped the charges against Qubilah Shabazz and a rapprochement between the Nation and Dr. Shabazz started. She was featured as one of the speakers of the 1995 Million Man March. The prosecutors in this fiasco, by the way, were located in Rep. Ellison’s home state of Minnesota.

Mr. Ellison, who was captured in at least one photo distributing The Final Call while in college, condemned the Minister as he sought his new place. But his cowardly and baseless repudiation is nothing new. While running for Congress a decade ago, his “I’m not with Farrakhan and he’s a hater” narrative started.

But let’s go back and examine words published in the Nov. 6, 1995 edition of Insight News, a Black weekly in Minneapolis: “Third, Minister Farrakhan is a role model for Black youth; however he is not an anti-Semite. He is a sincere, tireless and uncompromising advocate of the Black community and other oppressed peoples in America and around the world. Despite some of the most relentless negative propaganda anyone has ever faced, most Black people regard him as a role model for youth and increasingly, a central voice for our collective aspirations.

“I am sensitive to members of the Jewish community who have been lead to believe that Minister Farrakhan is anti-Jewish. I believe they should do two things: engage in a dialogue with Black people who support Minister Farrakhan (which includes Cornel West, Jesse Jackson, Ben Chavis, Dorothy Height and many others) and urge their leadership to engage in the dialogue proposed at the Million Man March.

“The White community, however, must come to the realization that there are too many Black people who have been cleaned-up, taught and uplifted by Minister Farrakhan for us to let anyone gratuitously insult him anymore.”

That’s pretty powerful language and a powerful argument penned by one Keith X Ellison. Yes. That’s the same Rep. Keith Ellison who represents the Fifth Congressional District in Minnesota and seeks to chair the Democratic National Committee. He was also once known as Keith Ellison-Muhammad.

If Mr. Ellison once believed those things about the Minister and changed his mind, that’s his business. We will leave Allah (God) to judge and handle the hypocrites. But what cannot be tolerated are the lies, the slander and false narrative against Min. Farrakhan. These lies cannot be proven, nor can these false charges be sustained. The Minister has been a strong voice for Black self-determination, a warrior against Jewish paternalism and control of Black people and a sledge hammer against the wall of White supremacy and neo-colonialism. None of that work would make him the favorite of a system or wicked people whose demonic rule he is working to destroy.

But Mr. Ellison knows better. Years ago sitting in my Chicago office here at The Final Call, when I was managing editor, there was no question about Min. Farrakhan and who he was. There was no question when Mr. Ellison, aka Keith X Ellison, aka Keith Ellison-Muhammad, came to Chicago for an urban peace summit in October 1993 that featured Min. Farrakhan, or a vital summit in Kansas City that included Min. Farrakhan as the major speaker and one who helped legitimize the anti-violence movement in April 1993.

The problem comes from a simple place: “All of you that want national and state prominence: Sometimes I am the ‘litmus test’ to see if White folk can do anything good for you. And some of you are so weak and so cowardly, that your desires mean more than the integrity of your being. But every time I forgave my brothers, and kept moving forward,” observed Min. Farrakhan in a message delivered Oct. 30.

The Minister’s forgiveness and willingness to suffer insults apparently has led some to think that there is no end to his patience and smearing him is acceptable— just come back and apologize in the dark later. No. This man’s life’s work, his status as a vibrant elder and indispensable leader in our community cannot and must not allow that. Mr. Ellison and those who would misuse the Minister’s name for their personal advancement must be confronted and their hypocrisy and cowardice must be condemned. How can Rep. Ellison speak of justice for the poor, a just U.S. foreign policy, social change that improves the lives of people and respect for all and denigrate a man who has worked to achieve those goals for longer than the congressman has been alive?

Shame on you Mr. Ellison for your pandering and shame on us if we don’t call you out for it.

[SOURCE]

Rep. Keith Ellison On Why He Deserves To Be DNC Chairman

Minnesota Rep. Keith Ellison, who is running for DNC chair went on NPR's Morning Edition to discuss why he should be the chair and what he hopes to do if elected chair. Ellison also addresses the issues with comments he made about the Nation of Islam and Louis Farrakhan. Check out his interview with Morning Edition host David Greene below.

Keith Ellison formally announces his bid for DNC Chair

Congressman Keith Ellison (Minn) has formally announced his bid to run for chair of the Democratic National Committee. He already has the endorsements of U.S Senators like Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Chuck Schumer, and other members of congress John Conyers, and Bonnie Watson Coleman. Read his statement below and learn more about Ellison's campaign for the DNC chair here: https://keithfordnc.org/:

Democrats win when we harness the power of everyday people and fight for the issues they care about. It is not enough for Democrats to ask for voter's support every two years. We must be with them through every lost paycheck, every tuition hike, and every time they are a victim of a hate crime. When voters know what Democrats stand for, we can improve the lives of all Americans, not matter what race, religion, or sexual orientation.

To do that, we must begin the rebuilding process now.

This election cycle, we did not motivate enough people to the ballot box. we must champion the challenges of working families and give voters a reason to show up at the polls in 2018 and beyond. We must build a bench not just for federal candidates, but for state and local candidates across the nation.

We also need a robust party organization in every state that prioritizes voter relationships over everything else. we must invest in and empower our state and local parties by creating effective field operations, an enhanced and advanced voter file, and a culture of collaboration between candidates at every level. Let's put voters first.

I am proud to announce my candidacy for Chair of the Democratic National Committee, and if given the opportunity to serve, I will work tirelessly to make the Democratic Party an organization that brings us together and advances an agenda that improves people's lives.

Congressman Keith Ellison Considering Running For DNC Chair

Well, the post-election intrigue has started in the Democratic Party after a devastating election day in which Republicans took the presidency and held on to both the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. After the horrible handling of the debates and the email leaks under Debbie Wasserman Shultz and the sad revelations about Donna Brazile leaking debate questions to Hillary Clinton, several Democrats are discussing vying to become chairman of the Democratic National Committee. One of those people is Minnesota Congressman and hardcore progressive Keith Ellison.

Rep. Keith Ellison, a leading progressive voice in Congress and one of only two Muslim Americans in the House of Representatives, has his eyes on becoming the next chair of the Democratic National Committee.

The Minnesota Democrat has been planning a run for weeks, and has begun informally talking to other party lawmakers and insiders about his prospects for the post, several sources have told The Huffington Post.

His name was floated as a possible DNC chair by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on Thursday morning, giving him the type of institutional progressive support that would make his candidacy formidable. MoveOn.org, a major progressive network, also said in a statement that Ellison would be “an excellent DNC chair.”

Ellison’s identity as a black man and the first Muslim member of Congress would serve as a symbolic rebuke to President-elect Donald Trump. And his ties to Sanders would give him credibility in the progressive community that feels the party has catered too much to elite interests. He is also regarded as a savvy television presence ― which seems likely to be a major requirement for the job in the age when Democrats are out of power in every branch of government.

Read more: Congressman Keith Ellison Wants To Run The DNC

Meet Brandon Davis, the new head of the Democratic National Committee

Hillary Clinton's campaign is taking the reins of the Democratic National Committee, installing a new top official on Thursday to oversee the party's day-to-day operations through the general election.

Brandon Davis, national political director for the Service Employees International Union, will become the general election chief of staff for the Democratic Party. His selection formalizes the coordination of the Clinton campaign and the committee

Davis, 38, oversees the political efforts at one of the country's largest labor unions. He has also worked as political director to Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri.

Wasserman Schultz welcomed Davis to party headquarters on Thursday morning. While she will remain in her position as the party's chairwoman, at least through the convention next month in Philadelphia, her role diminishes with the Clinton campaign's takeover of the committee.

The appointment of Davis is intended to allay some of the concerns about party leadership. It is a standard transition, as Clinton becomes the presumptive Democratic nominee.

[SOURCE]

Democratic National Committee passes resolution supporting Black Lives Matter

The DNC passes a resolution supporting Black Lives Matter at the party's summer meeting. The resolution reads:

“[T]he DNC joins with Americans across the country in affirming ‘Black lives matter’ and the ‘say her name’ efforts to make visible the pain of our fellow and sister Americans as they condemn extrajudicial killings of unarmed African American men, women and children,”