I’m willing to work with people, disagree with people, and still get things done. But cooperation cannot require my silence. And supporting Democratic candidates does not mean I surrender my right to criticize how local parties operate.

I’ve spoken my mind since I was a child. I’ll be damned if I stop now because somebody holds a title, particularly a white woman who seems to believe her position should put her above being questioned by a Black man.

I also mean people of every background who want government to work for the people. People who want trust restored. Who want to believe again in democracy and law enforcement. Who believe loving thy neighbor should show up in how we treat people.

And yes, when I say “our people,” I mean Black people. Intentionally. We should be able to name our needs and organize around them without apologizing or making everybody else comfortable first. #BlackLeadership

Sometimes that means leaving spaces where we are expected to follow and building spaces where we can lead. Our own organized network. Resources. Candidate support. A strategic plan our communities help write. We can do that without starting another party.

There are Black elected Democrats who share these concerns. We’ve discussed them privately. I believe we could accomplish more if we acknowledged these experiences publicly and built a strategy around what our communities need.

That participation should come with meaningful influence over priorities, resources, and decisions. Our communities cannot keep being essential when it’s time to deliver votes, then treated as difficult when we want a say in how things are run.

Look at the numbers. According to Edison exit polling, Black voters made up 56% of South Carolina’s 2020 Democratic presidential primary electorate. In 2016, it was 61%. We were the majority choosing the party’s presidential nominee in this state.

That taught me something: our ability to organize does not begin or end with a local party’s approval. The Democratic Party needs us at least as much as we need it. We need to understand the political power we already have. #BlackPoliticalPower

When I ran, I never reached out asking the party to include me in its events. I kept working. I knocked on doors, built relationships, and reached people without its backing. I became a force to be reckoned with because people responded to the work.

Talk to Black candidates and organizers in #SpartanburgSC. I’ve heard accounts of candidates being overlooked, left without invitations, and excluded from events. Those experiences sound familiar. These conversations deserve to happen openly

I’m still voting for #AnnieAndrews. I’ve also told her that earning Black support requires more than showing up at Black churches. It takes relationships, listening, and engaging with Black people who may challenge you.

I also came to understand that Amanda discouraged #DrAnnieAndrews from engaging with me and characterized me as bad news. I cannot speak to every conversation between them. I have addressed my concerns directly with Annie.

That experience matters when we discuss how Black candidates are treated. We should be able to question leadership and operate independently without having our integrity called into question. A party title does not put anybody above accountability.

When I contacted her, she acknowledged submitting the complaint but said she had intended to retract it. I did not find that explanation credible. I had already been accused of stealing something I paid for, after receiving permission to use the permit.

Oh. And instead of her calling me. She had a Black man to call and question me. And I let him know nahhh playa. I ain't the one.

I provided her with my receipt showing I had paid the postage myself. I later received a letter from the Ethics Commission notifying me of the complaint and explaining it would take no further action. That was the end of it.

The permit was the only thing I needed from them. After the mail went out, the chair accused me of stealing postage. According to what I was told, she contacted the South Carolina Ethics Commission and SLED.