By Arielle Lowe, Howard University News Service
In this interview, MSNBC political commentator and Morgan State University journalism professor Jason Johnson speaks about the unique circumstances this November, and what to expect no matter who wins.
Johnson comments on the global pandemic, with the US leading the world in cases of and deaths from coronavirus, with the number of cases surpassing nine million, and over 230,000 lives lost. Meanwhile, President Trump has repeatedly downplayed the pandemic. At the same time, the country is raging in turmoil as civil unrest stretches across the nation due to ongoing police killings of Black people–George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Walter Wallace, Jr., and Marcellis Stinnette are just four of the best-known recent names. In the first eight months of 2020, 164 African Americans have been killed by the police.
With a president who has denounced the movement to protect Black lives while simultaneously uplifting white supremacists, repeatedly placed profits over safety by reopening the country, refusing to acknowledge the severity of the virus, and threatening the rights of people of color and low-income Americans over his entire presidential term, this election is different from many others. The stakes are especially high for the working class, African Americans, LBTQ+ community, and all other POC.
Jason Johnson’s perspective and insights provide food for thought in these uncertain times.
