by John Burl Smith

Turnout 75 %: The passing of Rev. Hosea Williams on November 16, 2000 brought to a close the life's work of one of America's true freedom fighters. The hero of "bloody Sunday" at the Edmund Pettus Bridge outside Selma, Alabama, Hosea stirred America to extend voting rights to blacks across the South. An advance man along with Rev. James Orange for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Poor Peoples Champaign, Hosea recruited me to coordinate young volunteers. Personifying Dr. King, when Hosea looked into the faces of young black children, he saw hope and beauty. Today more than ever slave descendants need brothers and sisters like Hosea to take the sword of truth and drive it through the heart of racism everywhere it rears it ugly head. Thanks brother Hosea, you opened blind eyes that see clearly what is really going on in Florida.

America's electoral dilemmas regarding fairness and equity in casting ballots, as well as, trust and confidence that they represent the intent of voters has historical roots. Its origin lies in how America arrived at determining representation during the writing of the Constitution. The founding fathers did not want to enfranchise every citizen. These white men saw one-man one-vote as mob rule. Consequently, they used Article 1 Section 2 to reduce African slaves to less than human status, 3/5ths whites. Designated as property and counted only for taxation and white representation in Congress, this built-in disdain for slave descendants reserved democracy for whites at the top of America's political hierarchy.

The heritage that allowed white men to write such language into law thrives in public officials today. The Secretary of State for Florida, Katherine Harris exemplifies this "southern plantation philosophy." Perfected by Willie Lynch in Lets Make a Slave, his system used arbitrary and capricious power over slaves to terrorize blacks into accepting servitude. The 3/5ths Compromise is the gentlemen's agreement, which allows whites to come together around keeping blacks out of political power. Politically, whites coalesce along economic and racial divides. Approximately, 75% of whites vote Republican and the other 25% vote Democrat. Where white Republicans dominate, blacks are ignored completely. White Democrats maintain control where blacks dominate. The 3/5ths Compromise makes this relationship possible and maintains institutionalized racism.

This Presidential election illustrates the inadequate attention federal and state government gives to voting rights violations committed against blacks and other minorities. The built in disdain for those classed as "others" in the Constitution explains why the boards and commissions throughout America are white only. Where are the black people? Why are there no blacks on the many boards and commissions determining representation thirty-five years after brother Hosea's valiant stand and the Voting Rights Act? Who speaks for the interest of blacks on these boards and commissions? The attitude among such groups toward black voters seems to suggest they would rather discourage 100 eligible voters at polls in order to catch 10 ineligible ones. With voter turnouts so low, their efforts should be reversed.

Emblematic of how Secretary Harris operates, the 3/5ths value placed on slave descendants discounts our individual votes to prevent what she sees as mob rule. Blacks are viewed as inherently dishonest and must be prevented from destroying the integrity of the "democratic process." Voting is approached as though it is a test or hurdle blacks must get over. For slave descendants, these are the same barriers Hosea was fighting in 1965, when blacks had to pass literacy tests that asked questions like, "How many bubbles are in a bar of soap?" Today, the tricks are in the ballot designs, the use of absentee ballots, registration scams and voting instructions. White people run everything connected to elections and voting, just as they do everything else. Only white people comment on the fairness and equity of the electoral process. Moreover, they are charged with investigating any complaints and/or irregularities. How do we get fairness?

The impact of Ms Harris's actions is no different than other public officials who support the 3/5ths Compromise. No one wants to expose how blacks are locked out of what is supposed to be a democratic system. Counting votes by hand means one has to look at which precinct votes originated. The pattern is clear; thousands of blacks are disenfranchised, and Florida wants to cover that up. Neither county, state nor federal officials are willing to under take an audit of the Florida election to determine systematic instances where blacks were denied access to polls or the level of uncounted black votes relative to whites. Secretary Harris' opposition to counting votes is reminiscent of George C. Wallace standing in the school house door defying integration. In honoring Rev. Hosea Williams, unbossed and unbought, we rededicate ourselves by redoubling our efforts to rid America and the world of racism. The DISH salutes Hosea, a work complete!

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