Female Power is Not Black Women’s Power

“Simply putting a female face on a position of power is enough for some people.”

But we don’t have to go all the way to the Philippines to find disappointment.

According to womensenews.org, “With the Democrats in control of the House, women are in line to advance to high positions in party leadership and on committees. Four women are in line to take over control of House panels, and numerous other women are poised to control House subcommittees.”

Sadly and treacherously, Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney of Georgia won’t be one of them.

On top of the usual fare of isolation, disrespect and contempt she has had to endure since September 11, 2001, the fall-out from McKinney’s charge of racism after an assault by a Capitol Hill Police Officer earlier this spring was particularly ugly and included complete abandonment by her colleagues in the Democratic Party under the direct leadership of Nancy Pelosi.

It was Pelosi who, working through lackeys in the Congressional Black Caucus, put the word out that McKinney should be completely shunned and so it was – up to and including McKinney’s so-called colleagues disappearing from the scene of a press conference where the Congresswoman was to apologize (!) for continuously speaking in the media on her assault as an instance of racist profiling by Capitol Hill Police. Of the 43 members of the Congressional Black Caucus only nine stood with her at the press conference, and that was after McKinney had to remind them of their commitment to do so.

It was Pelosi who, as House Minority Leader, denied Rep. McKinney her seniority status (after 10 years in Congress) when McKinney handily won re-election in 2004 after a well-orchestrated Republican-led campaign ousted her from office in 2002.

The treatment meted out to Cynthia McKinney under Nancy Pelosi’s leadership and directives should be a cause for alarm for Black women and others. But there’s more.

“Pelosi who, working through lackeys in the Congressional Black Caucus, put the word out that McKinney should be completely shunned and so it was.”

Nancy Pelosi has always been a staunch supporter of the state of Israel, remaining deafeningly silent on flagrant Israeli abuses of the human rights of the Palestinian and Lebanese people.

From the House Floor earlier this summer, after Hezbollah captured two Israeli soldiers in Lebanon spawning a murderous response by Israel, Pelosi expressed unwavering support for Israel’s “right, and indeed …obligation, to respond.” That response by Israel this summer left over 750 civilians dead and over 1200 civilians injured - many of them children.

Palestinian women continue to suffer from the brutal occupation of their land by the state of Israel. Within the last six years, it is estimated by the Palestinian Health Information Center that 10 percent of pregnant women in the West Bank and Gaza who needed to give birth in medical centers or hospitals were delayed by Israeli forces at notorious “checkpoints” for 2-4 hours; during this period, a total of 68 women gave birth – right then and there – at these checkpoints while four mothers and 34 newborn babies died.

Speaking after the election, Pelosi reiterated her party’s platform of “Six for ‘06” – the areas of focus for the new Congress’ first 100 hours. National security, jobs and wages, energy independence, affordable health care, retirement security and college access for all are indeed important areas, but precisely where and how these areas encompass the case for the impeachment of George Bush, the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, and the displaced victims of Hurricane Katrina has yet to be laid out.

Black women must remain vigilant as this new Congress settles in. Sisterhood may be global but it ain’t immune to white supremacy.

Thandisizwe Chimurenga is a writer, activist, and the director of the Ida B. Wells Institute. She can be reached at idabwellsinstitute (at) gmail.com.