On Monday, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) appeared and spoke at a rally ahead of his recall election, as did Rep. Karen Bass, another California Democrat. Also at the rally were those who continued the racist narrative about Newsom's leading Republican challenger, Larry Elder.
In addition to reporting on the rally for LAist, Kyle Stokes tweeted many memorable lines.
State Sen. Sydney Kamlager, a Democrat representing Los Angeles, referenced Elder, though not by name. Kamlager claimed there's a challenger who "thinks he might have an edge because of his color. But racism … comes in all shapes and sizes, and we’re not stupid."
Correction to that second Kamlager reference: she's a senator!!
— Kyle Stokes (@kystokes) September 6, 2021
Melina Abdullah, the founder of Black Lives Matter Los Angeles, doubled down on the racism, mentioning Elder by name as she did so. "She didn’t say his name, but I will: Larry Elder is a Black face on white supremacy," Abdullah said, speaking after the senator.
Roll-calling some more attendees: Rep. @KarenBassTweets is here with @SteveBradford. Across the way, @R_JonesSawyer is here with a little guy. pic.twitter.com/WUc1tUjrfo
— Kyle Stokes (@kystokes) September 6, 2021
If those names and remarks sound familiar, that's because they were both quoted last month in Erika D. Smith's racist column for The Los Angeles Times, "Larry Elder is the Black face of white supremacy. You've been warned."
Here's a refresher about how they're quoted in Smith's column:
“He is a danger, a clear and present danger,” said Melina Abdullah, co-founder of Black Lives Matter Los Angeles.
...
“We have been having a series of real uncomfortable discussions about systemic racism in institutions across this state,” said state Sen. Sydney Kamlager (D-Los Angeles). “About how to really peel back the layers of ignorance or ineptitude so that we can deal with them in very real ways. And Larry Elder is someone who just fundamentally doesn’t believe that [systemic racism] exists.”
...
Abdullah of Black Lives Matter: “Anytime you put a Black face on white supremacy, which is what Larry Elder is, there are people who will utilize that as an opportunity to deny white supremacy. They say, ‘How could this be white supremacy? This is a Black man.’ But everything that he’s pushing, everything that he stands for, he is advancing white supremacy.”
...
But, as Kamlager said, “I’m not interested in going back to Jim Crow because I want to have a Black person as governor.”
Duh.
Rep. Bass made noteworthy comments in her own right, as she took issue with the very idea that voters would even conceive of recalling Newsom.
“How dare people say we should recall someone who was brave enough to make the hard decisions in spite of the fact that it would hurt him politically?” —@KarenBassTweets pic.twitter.com/bJ6PwwHfLP
— Kyle Stokes (@kystokes) September 6, 2021
Stokes also attended Elder's Monday rally, where he referenced the racist attacks on him from earlier.
“Failure to take advantage of opportunities is a bigger problem (than racism). Knock it off! We believe in MLK’s ‘content of their character.’ Knock it off!”
— Kyle Stokes (@kystokes) September 6, 2021
Aren’t you bothered by low reading and math rates? @LarryElder asks rhetorically.
Elder also discussed Smith's column with Sean Hannity around the time it was published, saying "I anticipated that would happen." He also claimed his critics "are scared to death. They know if California can elect a conservative governor like myself, and they can and they will come on September the 14th, that any state can't come and they're deathly afraid of this."
The recall election will be held on September 14, with voters being asked if they want to recall Newsom, and then, if so, who they want to elect. Elder currently has a strong lead against Newsom's other challengers.
As Leah reported, Vice President Kamala Harris will be campaigning alongside Newsom on Wednesday. She was previously scheduled to do so, but that campaign event was changed due to last month's terrorist attack at the Kabul Airport.