Dem. Congressman ‘Sees Nothing Wrong’ With Changing The National Anthem

Illinois Democratic Rep. Danny Davis says he sees ‘nothing wrong’ with the California ACLU’s effort to ban the Star Spangled Banner as the country’s national anthem.

“Well, you know, one of the things about the Constitution that our forefathers wrote, and basically, there were none of our foremothers that were there. There were none of our fore-sisters there. There are changes that can take place and there is room to change,” he told TheDC Thursday.

Alice Huffman, president of the California chapter of the NAACP, declared the anthem to be “racist” and that it “doesn’t represent our community. It’s anti-black people,” SFGate.com, reported Wednesday. The NAACP is hoping for lawmakers to change it.

Davis, a member of the Congressional Black Caucus went on to say, “Intellectually, if people continue to pursue this nation to become perfected, then I see nothing wrong with that. I mean it was designed, I think they said, to form a more perfect union.”

He added, “They didn’t say that it was perfect at the time, but they did say that we could continue to pursue perfection and if they’re individuals who think that we can make the national anthem more perfect in terms of the goals and objectives of this country then I say so be it.”

The NAACP referenced the anthem’s third verse, which is seldom sung and includes the line, “no refuge could save the hireling and slave from the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave.”

The Star Spangled Banner was written in 1814 by Frances Scott Key at a time when slavery was legal in the United States.

[SOURCE: THEDC]

Several African American mayors elected on Election Day 2017

While much attention was payed to Democratic candidates that won governor's races in both New Jersey and Virginia, several African American Democrats won mayoral races throughout the country. This is not a list of all of them but a list of six of the more notable victories on Election Day 2017.

Melvin Carter

Voters in St. Paul, Minnesota, made history by electing Melvin Carter as the city’s first African-American mayor.

“This is the honor of a lifetime,” Carter said late Tuesday night. “Being able to carry a majority of the first-choice votes says to me loud and clear that St. Paul is a city ready for change.”

Vi Lyles

Vi Lyles was elected as Charlotte, North Carolina’s first female African-American mayor, defeating Republican candidate Kenny Smith.

“With this opportunity you’ve given me, you’ve proven that we are a city of opportunity and inclusiveness,” Lyles told a crowd of supporters, according to the Charlotte Observer. “You’ve proven that a woman whose father didn’t graduate from high school can become this city’s first female African-American mayor.”

Yvonne Spicer

Yvonne Spicer was elected the first mayor of the city of Framingham, Massachusetts. Framingham residents recently voted to become a city, relinquishing its status as “the largest town in America.” This vote altered the way the government will be run: with a mayor and a city council.

“This is a new beginning for Framingham. ... I promise you as your mayor, I will make sure that everyone at Framingham has a seat at the table,” Spicer told a group of supporters Tuesday night.

Jonathan McCollar

Jonathan McCollar will become the first African-American mayor of Statesboro, Georgia, defeating incumbent Jan Moore.

“It’s that the city was ready for change, he said Tuesday. “This is just evidence of the work from the people that were part of this movement.”

Brendon barber

Brendon Barber, a Georgetown, South Carolina, city councilman since 1998, will become the city’s first ever African-American mayor. The Georgetown native said his knowledge of the city and its municipal employees makes him well-positioned for the job.

Mary Parham Copelan

Mary Parham Copelan will become Milledgeville, Georgia’s, first female African-American mayor, beating incumbent Gary Thrower by just six votes.

“I along with each one of you know that we needed real change and real progress for our city,” she wrote on Facebook following her victory.

[SOURCE: HUFFPPOST]

Two African Americans elected as Lieutenant Governors on Election Day 2017

While much attention was payed to Democratic candidates that won governor's races in both New Jersey and Virginia, two African American candidates also won statewide office. Both Sheila Oliver of New jersey and Justin Fairfax of Virginia were elected as Lieutenant Governors of their prospective states.

Sheila Oliver

New Jersey elected Sheila Oliver as its first female African-American lieutenant governor. Oliver is no stranger to breaking records: She became the first African-American woman to be elected as Assembly speaker in New Jersey and only the second black female speaker in U.S. history.

“This may not be the first glass ceiling I have broken, but it is certainly the highest,” Oliver said during Democrat Phil Murphy’s victory party. “And I hope somewhere in this great state of New Jersey, a young girl of color is watching tonight and realizing that she does not have a limit to how high she can go.”

Justin Fairfax

Democrat Justin Fairfax was elected to become Virginia’s next lieutenant governor. With his victory, the former federal prosecutor will be the second African-American to win statewide in Virginia.

“I am so grateful for this opportunity,” Fairfax said during a statewide victory party, according to WJLA-TV. “We are changing the course of history in this commonwealth.”

[SOURCE: HUFFPOST]

ObamaCare signups surge in early days to set new record

Despite the Trump administration's sabotage attempts which included cutting funding for advertising the Affordable Care Act's enrollment period, and cutting the enrollment period itself by 40 plus days, it seems that early enrollment figures have set a new sign-up record.

A record number of people signed up for ObamaCare in the first few days of open enrollment this year compared to the same period in previous years, several sources close to the process told The Hill.

The surge in sign-ups, which was confirmed by an administration official, comes despite fears from Democrats that enrollment would fall off due to the Trump administration's cutbacks in outreach and advertising.

On the first day of enrollment alone, Nov. 1, one source close to the process told The Hill that more than 200,000 people selected a plan for 2018, compared with about 100,000 last year. More than 1 million people visited healthcare.gov that day, compared to about 750,000 last year, the source said.

It is still early in the process and it is unclear how the final sign-up numbers will come out. Sign-ups early in the enrollment season are often people renewing their coverage, not new enrollees.

[SOURCE: The Hill].

Kamala Harris condemns gun violence after mass shooting in Sutherland Texas

Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) called for gun control after a mass shooting at a church in Sutherland, Texas which left multiple people dead and wounded on Sunday.

Senator Harris tweeted:

Senseless gun violence has torn apart another community — this time in a house of worship. When do we say enough is enough? https://t.co/gsW1KN54xc

— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) November 5, 2017