#47 ¿Que pasó? with Señor B - week of 2/16

This past weekend at the Democratic convention, I had the distinct honor of interviewing legendary labor leader Dolores Huerta. I spoke with her about a feeling many in our community share: the sense that our voices don't matter and that the system is stacked against us.

I asked her what she would say to those who want to get involved but feel their efforts won't make a difference. Her message was clear: Every individual holds the power to spark change.

According to Dolores, that change begins with basic human connection; talking to neighbors, family, and even strangers about the power of the vote. She emphasized that canvassing and door-to-door engagement are more than just campaign tactics; they are essential tools for showing how local and national policies directly impact our daily lives.

We have to be honest about the current landscape. Many in the Latino community abstained from voting or chose Trump because they felt disillusioned or unrepresented by the Democratic Party. Now, as we navigate the harsh realities of the current administration, the work of reconnecting with our communities has never been more urgent.

I stand with Dolores: we must support candidates who are authentically committed to the working class. However, the responsibility also lies with the Democratic Party. To earn the community's trust, the party must champion policies that the majority of people are actually demanding:

Fighting rising authoritarianism requires more than just a ballot; it requires a platform that actually reflects the needs of the people.

Last month, the Trump administration issued an executive order that struck a direct blow to historical transparency: the removal of an exhibit in Philadelphia detailing the lives of nine people enslaved by George Washington. For two decades, these stories shed necessary light on the complex, often dark realities of our nation’s founders.

The administration’s order claims to "restore truth and sanity" by mandating that public monuments be "uplifting." It specifically targets displays that depict the U.S. as "inherently racist, sexist, oppressive, or otherwise irredeemably flawed."

However, many of us understand that the inception of the United States is rooted in deep contradictions, systemic violence, and genocide. Sanitizing this history doesn't make it go away; it only serves to falsify our collective memory. To move forward, we must grapple with the truth, not hide from it.

In a major development this week, a federal judge ordered the slavery exhibit to be restored. In a scathing ruling, the judge compared the administration’s actions to the "Ministry of Truth" from George Orwell’s 1984; the fictional government arm that survives by revising history and destroying evidence that contradicts the party line.

The judge’s ruling was clear: the U.S. government does not have the power to disassemble historical truths.

As we see more attempts to centralize control over media, education, and the arts, we need federal officials and community leaders to stand firm. We cannot improve upon historical atrocities if we aren't allowed to name them. Education is the first step toward progress; silence is the first step toward repeating the past.

This week, I had the opportunity to sit down with another candidate for California Governor: Ramsey Robinson.

Running with the Peace and Freedom Party, Ramsey isn't your typical politician; he’s a school social worker, mental health advocate, and community organizer. His platform is built on a "straightforward" solution to California’s massive inequality.

Ramsey pointed out a staggering reality: there are currently about 200 billionaires in California holding an estimated $2.2 trillion in wealth. Much of this capital is effectively withheld from our $4 trillion state economy. Ramsey’s plan? Tax those with concentrated wealth to fully fund:

I asked Ramsey the question many of us grapple with: What does a third-party vote actually mean? Many are terrified that moving away from the Democratic ticket is effectively a vote for the Republican party.

Ramsey’s response was deeply personal. He shared his own 20-year history of voting for Democrats who, despite having a supermajority in the house and senate for decades, have failed to deliver on these core promises.

He argues that the Democratic party could propose accessible housing and healthcare tomorrow if they wanted to; but they don't because they are fundamentally tied to the billionaire class. To Ramsey, the "lesser of two evils" strategy is what led us to our current crisis. He left me with a haunting question: At what point do we finally break from a system that is no longer working for the people?