Black Lives Matter rips Democrat Party's 'undemocratic' selection of Kamala Harris: 'Party of hypocrites'
'We do not live in a dictatorship. Delegates are not oligarchs.'
One of the most prominent progressive advocacy organizations in the United States has raised concerns about Vice President Kamala Harris’ sudden clinching of the Democrat nomination for president after President Joe Biden dropped out of the 2024 presidential election, suggesting that embracing her automatic ascension and coronation would make the Democrat Party a “party of hypocrites.”
Black Lives Matter, which has emerged as an influential voice on the political Left as it has advocated for major societal reforms to protest police brutality and other examples of what it characterizes as racial injustice, posted a “timeline of events” on its X account Tuesday expressing concerns about the process for selecting a new nominee. Biden dropped out of the race Sunday despite winning the overwhelming majority of the popular vote in Democrat presidential primaries and securing the overwhelming majority of delegates.
Biden’s withdrawal from the race is included in the first bullet point on the “timeline of events.” Additional items on the list from Sunday note that “Kamala Harris announces campaign with Biden endorsement,” “Kamala Harris says she is going to work hard to earn the Democratic nomination,” and “Kamala Harris makes calls to party delegates.”
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Events included on the timeline under the heading “Monday” include Harris’ additional conversations with Democratic National Committee delegates and delivery of two public speeches, along with an announcement from The Associated Press that she had secured support from enough delegates to win the Democrat nomination for president.
The post included a screenshot of Harris' statement released Monday night, in which she vowed to “go out and earn this nomination.”
Black Lives Matter reflected on the “timeline of events,” insisting that “a 24-hour process of talking to party bosses is not democratic, nor is it a process Democrats should be proud of.”
“We do not live in a dictatorship,” Black Lives Matter added. “Delegates are not oligarchs.”
The advocacy organization added, “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.” The group further urged the DNC to “create a process that allows for public participation in the nomination process, not just a nomination for party delegates.”
Black Lives Matter elaborated on its concerns about the process for selecting a new Democrat nominee in a statement posted on its website Tuesday: “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,” the statement added. “This moment calls for decisive action to protect the integrity of our democracy and the voices of Black voters.”
Acknowledging that “Joe Biden wasn’t our preferred candidate,” Black Lives Matter outlined what it described as “troubling actions of the Democratic Party,” specifically lamenting that “the DNC refused to host debates during the primary, even though a vast majority of Democratic voters wanted them.” The group suggested that “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,” Black Lives Matter continued. “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.”
Black Lives Matter continued: “Now, Democratic Party elites and billionaire donors are attempting to manipulate Black voters by anointing Kamala Harris and an unknown vice president as the new Democratic ticket without a primary vote by the public. This blatant disregard for democratic principles is unacceptable. While the potential outcome of a Harris presidency may be historic, the process to achieve it must align with true democratic values.
“This election process has been a disservice to our communities and to democracy. Historically, Black people have been loyal Democratic voters, but time and again, the party has taken our votes for granted and prioritized political theatrics over our real needs. So we will do the hard thing: we will celebrate, and honor the joy many in our community are feeling about Kamala’s historic candidacy and path to the nomination — while calling out the undemocratic process and engaging in a vigorous discussion on the issues our community cares about.”
Black Lives Matter also accused Democrats of hypocrisy when it comes to the issue of protecting democracy: “For the past few years, the Democratic Party has proclaimed that ‘democracy is on the ballot’ in an effort to persuade Black voters to participate in the general election. They have presented this as the most serious election for democracy in our lifetimes. However, democracy isn’t just an ideal to be protected against Republicans; it also must be safeguarded from erosions within the Democratic Party.”
“Calls for ‘unity’ cannot come at the expense of democracy,” the organization stated. “The Democratic party, which has been the loudest in defending democracy, is now poised to commit some of the most undemocratic maneuvering to avoid listening to the will of the voters.”
The concerns shared by Black Lives Matter raise questions about Harris’ ability to unify the Democrat Party and the American Left around a single candidate, a necessary prerequisite for winning the 2024 presidential election. In addition to Harris’ historic nature as the potentially first Indian American and black female major party political nominee and president, she has also embraced a cause central to organizations like Black Lives Matter.
In 2020, as riots engulfed the nation following the death of George Floyd in police custody, Harris urged the American people to “chip in now to the @MNFreedomFund to help post bail for those protesting on the ground in Minnesota.” The Minnesota Freedom Fund, which Harris encouraged people to support, was established “to pay criminal bail and immigration bonds for those who cannot afford to” as part of an effort to “end discriminatory, intimidating, and oppressive money bail.”
The Minneapolis Freedom Fund took in more than $20 million after many violent protesters ended up in jail. The Minneapolis Freedom Fund garnered negative headlines after a report surfaced showing that money raised by the organization paid for the bail of a man charged with raping an 8-year-old girl and another man charged with assaulting his elderly mother.
Ryan Foley is a reporter for The Christian Post. He can be reached at: [email protected]
