A "Brother" Allegedly Attempted to Suppress the Black Vote

Many brothers and sisters fought, bled and died for the right to vote.  Sadly, some black people, like political operatives Julius Henson and Rhonda Russell, do not give a damn about our struggle for equality.  On WBAL TV, Mr. Henson acknowledged sending controversial robo-calls to predominantly black Baltimore and Prince George's County during the 2010 Midterm Elections.  Rhonda Russell actually made the call.  In an obvious attempt to suppress the black vote, Ms. Russell's robo-call said:

"I'm calling to let everyone know that Gov. O'Malley and President Obama have been successful. Our goals have been met. Our polls were correct and we (unintelligible). We're OK. Relax. Everything is fine. The only thing left is to watch on TV tonight. Congratulations and thank you."

Contrary to Mr. Henson's assertions, that call was clearly designed give black Democratic voters the false impression that there was no need to vote.  The call implied that the election was over.

Voter suppression is not new phenomenon in Maryland.  However, it was shocking and disappointing to learn that some African Americans would participate in such a scheme against their own community.  Henson and Russell sold out the black community for approximately $97,000. According to WBAL TV, that is how much former Maryland Governor Bob Ehrlich (R) paid Henson for political consulting.  Unfortunately, some people will do anything for the love of money.  This situation conjures up images of African kings selling their own African brothers and sisters to European slave masters.

Hopefully, Maryland Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler will conduct a thorough investigation and bring all of those involved to justice.

To read WBAL TV's news report and view the related videos, click this link.