Leutisha L. Stills

What good is the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) to the re-election of Black members of the U.S. House of Representatives? The inquiring minds of the CBC Monitor would like to know after reading numerous articles describing what amounts to political extortion on the part of DCCC Chair Rep. Rahm Emmanuel (D-IL), who forces Democratic…

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) move to oust Rep. William Jefferson (D-LA) from the powerful Ways and Means committee may well “blow up in their face,” said CBC Chairman Mel Watt (D-NC). The CBC has twice rallied around Jefferson, who is under FBI corruption investigation involving alleged receipt of bribes. Watt says Pelosi is…

As we at CBC Monitor compile data for our next Report Card on the voting behavior the Congressional Black Caucus, we thought it interesting to compare our methodology with that of Black Enterprise (BE) magazine. To put it bluntly, there is no science – political or otherwise – in BE’s February 2006 “Progress Report” on…

In its first public event, the recently formed Black Progressive PAC (political action committee) is hosting a fundraiser for Rep. Cynthia McKinney (D-GA), Sunday evening, June 18, at Washington, DC’s BusBoys & Poets. The affair at the popular watering hole, restaurant and bookstore will benefit both the McKinney campaign and the Black Progressive PAC (BP…

The accelerating slide into irrelevance of the Congressional Black Caucus can only be halted by a revolt of the progressive majority. Given the infestation of corporate-bought Members, the long term health of the CBC will, of course, depend on the political reawakening of the Black electorate, many of whom are represented by legislators that consistently…

In the unkindest cut imaginable, more than 20 Congressional Black Caucus members last week discovered that they were to be “scrubbed” from the list of co-sponsors of the Voting Rights Act Extension bill. Bowing to pressures from House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), CBC Chairman Mel Watt (D-NC) informed selected Members about the purge at…

The Congressional Black Caucus has long advertised itself as not only being the “Conscience of the Congress,” but also as the venue that is committed to looking after the best interests of the African-American community and ensuring that issues of relevance to African Americans be heard. So when one learns how the CBC promotes itself,…

In the March 23, 2006 issue of BC, the CBC Monitor Report discussed the deadly consequences of the Congressional Black Caucus’ silence on the issues relevant to Black America. As promised, the CBC Monitor continues this discussion of the Caucus’ willingness to submit to the dictates of a House Minority leader who is demonstrating that…

There are times when silence is considered golden, and there are times when being silent on the things that matter becomes a matter of life and death. As African-Americans, there are issues we simply cannot afford to be silent on, especially when it comes to the effectiveness of those who seek to be our representatives…