Dr. Cornel West
All information was found via Dr. Cornel West’s official campaign website, https://www.cornelwest2024.com
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West views reproductive healthcare as a right and is adamant on eliminating barriers for all women regardless of race, economic status or location that prohibit their access to bodily autonomy. He has promised to codify Roe v.Wade, and has continued to show support for pro-choice activists. West has also addressed the disproportionately high rates of maternal morbidity and mortality for women of color as one of his main priorities. He plans to solve this epidemic through increased funding, bias training, community health worker programs, data collection, increased access to midwife/ doula services and the creation of a policy committee to oversee Black maternal healthcare.
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West wants to create the Global Green Reconstruction Initiative to heal the planet from the ongoing climate crisis. He will declare a nation-wide climate emergency that encourages extensive action regarding the climate crisis and global warming. He also advocates for climate reparations for those who have suffered the most from the climate crisis, while contributing the least to it. West pushes even further by calling to end water privatization, believing that access to water is a human right and not a commodity that should not be stored and sold. West also expresses concerns regarding Climate-Induced Displacement and promises to create frameworks that protect those who are displaced due to the climate crisis.
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West aims to address both homelessness and poverty. To eradicate many of the economic injustices, West will create Federal Public Banking Institutions that reclaim economic democracy, increase minimum wage to $27, end credit scores, expand parental leave, break up monopolies and ban insider trading. He also advocates for the expansion of parental leave, a national jobs program that protects Americans right to work and a significant tax increase for the wealthy.
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West calls for the end of US funding for Israel’s military (Israel Defense Forces) and expresses his support for Palestinian liberation. He calls on the US to promote justice and end their support for an apartheid state. West does not mention the Russia-Ukraine conflict on his campaign site.
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West views gun violence as a major priority in America. He advocates for a National Gun Registration Database, requirements for gun ownership, limiting sales at gun shows and creating national red flag laws. The red flag laws urge families, law enforcement and mental health professionals to use legal means to report concerning behavior, preventing violence through intervention.
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West is dedicated to the reform of America’s current healthcare system. He wants to extend Medicare for all, codify abortion rights, prioritize American’s health over corporate profit margins, create a Covid-19 Justice Commission to help marginalized communities that have been disproportionately impacted by Covid-19, and create a Vaccination and Utilization Panel to rebuild the public’s trust in American healthcare.
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West believes that America’s ability to welcome and uplift people around the world. He looks to end the inhumane treatment of immigrants, while creating policy reform that abolishes ICE and instead streamlines legal pathways to immigration.
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West is committed to the liberation for the LGBTQ+ community. He promises to end assaults on transgender community members, guarantee gender-affirming care, extend the Equal Rights Amendment to protect LGBTQ+ individuals and create a national ban on discriminatory laws.
Dr. Melina Abdullah, Vice President
Melina earned a Ph.D. in Political Science from Southern California and her B.A. in Africana Studies from Howard University. She is a professor of Pan-African studies at Cal State’s LA College of Ethic Studies. She is the cofounder and director of Grassroots and co-founder of Black Lives Matter- Los Angeles. She is also a radio host for the programs Move the Crowd on KPFK 90.7 and This is Not a Drill! On KBLA Talk 1580 where she is well-known as an expert on topics of race, gender, class and social movements.