By Lauren Burke
At the annual Congressional Black Caucus Foundation awards dinner that marks the end of the half-century-old legislative conference commonly known as “CBC Week,” the notable speakers of the evening were blunt in their remarks.
Beyond the awards and the sequins and campaign that’s featured at the annual CBC Gala, blunt talk of what is ahead for Blacks in America and the state of democracy was close at hand. Former Vice President Kamala Harris was one of three awardees. “They played the long game working for decades to take over statehouses, gerrymander districts and stack the Supreme Court,” said Vice President Harris, speaking from the large podium to over 2,000 people. She offered advice and surprise at how so many have capitulated to the demands of Donald Trump. She also offered remarks on leadership.
“Please let’s get over the savior complex, which suggests only one individual can save us. Come on. As Democrats, we have so many stars and many of them are in this room right now. You are the leaders who are up for the fight,” Harris added. The audience cheered loudly for her appearance on stage. The crowd also reacted favorably to Texas U.S. Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett. Both women have been direct and consistent in their criticism of Trump. “At a time such as this, it demands one thing for sure: we must fight fire with fire,” Harris added. It hasn’t been forgotten that, during her 107-day presidential campaign in 2024, Harris accurately predicted the future of America under a second Trump Administration. Her book, entitled “107 Days,” was recently released.
“I’m not interested in talking about how powerful the President is or how powerful the President thinks he is. I’m interested in talking about how powerful we are,” said Maryland Gov. Wes Moore. There were many questions and much discussion during CBC Week about “what the strategy is” against Trump’s attacks on democracy moving forward. “The CBC was built in moments like this,” Gov. Moore added. “If you ever want to learn anything about anybody, watch them when it was hard. Watch them when it was tough. Watch them when it wasn’t simple. Watch them when there are no easy decisions left,” Gov. Moore went on. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries also spoke as the government stands on the brink of a shutdown and more mass firings of federal employees. The evening featured awards to Vice President Harris, former Congressional Black Caucus Executive Director Angela Rye, and Win with Black Women founder Jotaka Eaddy.
