Democrats and Republicans aren’t enough to serve the interests of Black Americans, according to entertainment mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs.
It’s time for “Our Black Party,” he said Oct. 16, to advance a political agenda that addresses the needs of Black people.
“I’m launching one of the boldest things I’ve ever launched. I’m launching a Black political party with some young Black elected officials and activists,” Diddy tweeted. “It’s called @OurBlackParty, it doesn’t matter if you are Republican or Democrat.”
“We envision an America where Black people are liberated and participate freely in the political, economic, and social systems that work together for our benefit,” OurBlackParty.org. announced in a website that features a list of its leaders, values and agenda with a button for donors to click to make a contribution.
Diddy said via Twitter that the number one priority for the party is to unseat President Donald Trump.
“HE HAS TO GO. We can’t allow this man to continue to try and DIVIDE US. The people that have the most responsibility and should be SCARED TO DEATH of this man are white people. WE ARE ON THE VERGE OF A RACE WAR,” he tweeted Oct. 16.
Diddy is also skeptical about Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden who he endorses. But electing him is not enough.
“We need to…hold him accountable,” he said of the man who served as vice president for eight years under President Barack Obama.
“It would be irresponsible of me to have us hold our vote hostage,” he tweeted. “But it would also be irresponsible of me to let this moment go by and not make sure going forward we are doing what it takes to own our politics.”
He added, in interviews, that the party will “power the Black political agenda by developing a coalition of people and organizations committed to building Black political power and fiercely advocating for radical change that dramatically improves the quality of life for Black people in America.”
Diddy’s political initiative less than a month before the election has drawn both applause and skepticism.
“Why are these entertainers speaking out at the eleventh hour?” asked Annette Keesee. “Some things needs to wait until after the election because there are a lot of impressionable voters, especially younger individuals.”
Keesee believes mixed messages from different prominent figures in the Black community like Kanye West, Ice Cube and Diddy could confuse voters, leading to an unfavorable outcome.
Don Owens agrees.
“Maybe we should listen less to Diddy and Cube and more to the folks who have already been doing the work, like the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.”
Danita Bailey adds, “Diddy has not done anything for the past four years, but now, right before the election, he wants to mobilize?”
Election Day is Nov. 3.