MC Digital Edition 7.29.20

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2020 S.W.A.G. Scholarship awards

Black Votes Matter

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Michigan Chronicle

Vol. 83 – No. 47 | July 29 - Aug. 4, 2020

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Michigan Chronicle Endorses

Brenda Jones for the 13th District

By MC Editorial Board 2020 has been a year full of unprecedented events. While the threat of COVID-19 looms, racial tensions have hit a fever pitch bringing an air of unpredictability to the nation. However, in the midst of all the uncertainty there is a familiar battle being waged for Michigan’s 13th Congressional District seat. Detroit City Council President and Former Congresswoman Brenda Jones and U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib will face each other in the August 4 primary just as they did two years ago. Steeped in controversy, the battle for the 13th District began when the late U.S. Rep. John Conyers stepped down in 2017. There were two races for his seat. Jones won the first one which determined who would get to finish the remaining two months of Conyers term and Tlaib won the actual primary and went on to become the first Palestinian American elected to congress. While both of these women have a passion for service, they both have very different ways of getting things done. Where Tlaib has been described by some as flamboyant and outspoken, Jones has been described as having a more collaborative style and has been known to work across lines to get things done. Experts have described politics as a game of give and take. An excerpt from an interview with the Washington Post reads, “Since Tlaib entered office, her remarks have been called ‘inappropriate’ by fellow Democrats and ‘disrespectful’ by Republicans. She has refused to apologize.” It is sentiments like this that has brought Tlaib criticism and cause some to question her effectiveness.

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Michigan Millennials Get Ready for the Primaries City.Life.Style. B1

Jones has been critical of Tlaib’s style saying, “There are things that I might feel, but I just don’t say in public and an example is ‘impeach the M-F’ on the very first day,” she said. “Not to say you’re going to always agree, but you have to be able to work with those people because you never know who you’re going to need in order to get things done that need to be done.” An example of working well with others is evident through Jones’ endorsements. In 2018, former State Senator Coleman Young, former State Senator Ian Conyers, former State Representative Shanelle Jackson and Westland Mayor Bill Wild were all candidates in the 13th Congressional (Democratic) District race. Today, these four leaders wholeheartedly endorse Brenda Jones for Congress in her 2020 bid for the 13th Congressional District seat. Tlaib counters that she has been effective, getting legislation she sponsored to protect pension benefits signed into law, as well as getting an amendment approved in a recent infrastructure bill offering billions to replace lead pipes. “People may take issue with how I express myself or say that I’m always out with my bullhorn but my record speaks for itself. I’m doing the work.”

This leaves many wondering if Tlaib’s celebrity is impeding her ability to be effective. This is not a question that the 13th can afford to ponder. Michigan’s 13th Congressional District is the third poorest in our nation. And with that being the case, whoever represents the 13th has to be a formidable negotiator in order to secure resources for the area. “I’m not interested in being a celebrity. I am not a rock star and Tlaib has been everywhere doing everything except adequately serving the people of the 13th

District,” said Jones. Detroit accounts for 60 percent of the 13th Congressional District and Brenda Jones knows Detroit. Tlaib, the daughter of Palestinian immigrants, represents a majority-Black district. Some of Jones’ supporters, like John Conyers’ great-nephew Ian Conyers, have been observing the distinction, telling the AP that the district should be represented by a Black member as “folks are wanting someone to make their case in their own words.” With over 12 years of experience as a public servant Brenda Jones has consistently been an advocate for her constituents as a member of City Council. In November of 2005, she was elected to the Detroit City Council. Since 2014, she has served as the City Council President working diligently to bring jobs, economic opportunities, neighborhood revitalization and educational resources to all, positively impacting the quality of life for residents, public safety personnel, senior citizens, small business owners, government employees, veterans and union members. We believe that Brenda Jones is the right choice to continue the work that

See BRENDA

JONES page A2

The Michigan Chronicle’s Choice for Wayne County Prosecutor:

Kym Worthy

Candidate Spotlight: Kym Worthy Kym Worthy is on the August 4 Democratic Primary ballot as a candidate for the office of Wayne County Prosecutor, an office she has held since 2004 when she became the first African American and the first female to hold the position. Worthy began her legal career in the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office in 1984, and in 1989 she became the first African American selected by the office as a “Special Assignment” Prosecutor. Worthy was elected judge of the Recorder’s Court for the City of Detroit in 1994 and became a judge for the Wayne County Circuit Court in 1997 following the merger of the two courts. Worthy received an undergraduate degree in economics and political science from the University of Michigan and a law degree from the University of Notre Dame School of Law. In the days leading up to the August 4 primary, Worthy responded to questions from Michigan Chronicle contributor Scott Talley. What does Kym Worthy stand for?

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Tlaib is an attorney, activist and veteran state lawmaker who has become quite popular as a member of “The Squad,” an informal name given to Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Ayanna Pressley (DMass.) and Rashida Tlaib. As a member of “The Squad” Tlaib has had made just as many headlines for her feuds as she has for her accomplishments. Oddly enough while many accuse her of not being able to reach across the aisle to negotiate, her beefs have definitely gone across and through party lines. She has been the target of President Trump’s frustration and even Pelosi took shots at The Squad dismissing them as four people with a following in “their Twitter world” but no following on Capitol Hill.

“Truth. Integrity. Honesty. Forthrightness. Boldness. Trusted, proven and fearless leadership. Experience.

Innovation. I have done what is right, just, moral and fair regardless of what is popular. This has been proven repeatedly. I was fearless in being the first prosecutor in the United States to convict on-duty police officers of murder. This began a 28-year journey combating police brutality and lobbying for police reform. My experience includes thousands of trials and hearings as a prosecutor and thousands of trials and hearings as a circuit court judge. I have been the county’s chief prosecutor for 16 years, making tough decisions every single day. With COVID-19, the loss of resources, escalating violence and uncertain tomorrows, this is not a time for untested and inexperienced leadership. I have faced the tests, done what is right and continue to be innovative.” What is Kym Worthy’s message to Wayne County’s African American community? “I have the experience to lead in these tough times. I created over 15 diversion programs when no one else was doing this because I believe that treatment, proactivity, alternatives to incarceration, and getting to the root causes of crime are essential parts of protecting the community. More than 18,000 youth and adults, most of them

people of color, have been appropriately diverted from the criminal justice system. As a decades-long mental health advocate, I also focus on appropriate solutions for the mentally ill. “I created our Public Integrity Unit over 15 years ago. This unit has specially trained prosecutors that exclusively handle police brutality, shootings and misconduct 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Over the last few years, over 70 officers have been charged. I created the first Conviction Integrity Unit in Michigan. No prosecutor’s office should be afraid to seriously examine old convictions and make sure they are sound. This unit is now nationally recognized, and

See KYM

WORTHY page A2


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