By Lev D. Zilbermints
Lev D. Zilbermints: What motivated you to run for Congress?
Dr. Akil Khalfani: I have been fighting to create a more fair, just, and equitable American society for most of my life. As a sociologist, I have written and taught about inequality and injustices in our society. I am striving to put my expertise and training to use in a practical and broader fashion for the 10th district and for American people. My family and community instilled in me the necessity for community service. People died for me to be where I am today, and I am striving to give back for their sacrifices.
I and many others are extremely disappointed with our current representation in Congress. We need someone to represent us who has a progressive agenda for positive change. I am not satisfied with the status quo. We must step outside our comfort zones to create spaces for courageous and possibly difficult conversations about the path forward for all Americans.
I am running because we are living in a time that is both dangerous and full of great potential. Donald Trump’s actions to undermine the last 60 years of this country’s movement forward, requires the activism of every person of good conscious to put their skills to the best possible use so they can do stabilize and move this country forward again.
We are in danger of our nation becoming a fascist oppressive regime. I refuse to sit back and watch this without creating a movement of the masses who will fight for the integrity of our country.
We need to face and combat the danger of the current administration and the Republicans while taking advantage of the possibilities inherent in this moment in time. To do this, we need someone who is actively engaged in the political process, who will join with the progressive caucus to form a likeminded unit. Someone who will have the difficult discussions necessary to create progressive change with the needs of the people in mind. This is a mission I willfully accept.
LZ: Could you tell us about your background? Education, work experience?
AK: I am a Change Agent, Author, Professor, and Motivational Speaker. I earned my Ph.D. degree in Sociology from the University of Pennsylvania, from which I also earned a Graduate Certificate in African Studies. My areas of expertise are, social stratification, developing solutions to social problems, Africana Studies, and race relations.
I am currently the Director for the Center for Global Education and Experiences, Director of the Africana Institute and Associate Professor of Sociology at Essex County College. In 2019, I was selected as a Presidential Elevate Fellow for the Council on International Educational Exchange. I received a Citation Award from the National Sorority of Phi Delta Kappa in 2017, for my “outstanding contributions in the field of education and my humanitarian deeds.” I became the Pan African Diaspora Ambassador to the Ooni of Ile Ife, Nigeria in 2016 and was awarded The Chair Academy’s 2016 International Exemplary Leadership Award.
I am the author of, The Hidden Debate: The Truth Revealed about the Battle over Affirmative Action in South Africa and the United States, which was nominated for the national Oliver Cromwell Cox Award of the American Sociological Association (ASA). I am co-author of Introduction to Sociology: Understanding Our Complex World, 4th edition. I am a contributing author to several books including the W.E.B. Du Bois Encyclopedia and White Logic, White Methods, Racism and Methodology, which won the ASA’s 2009 Oliver Cromwell Cox Award.
I was the Host and Executive Producer of The Pulse: a televised talk show that explores the diversity of the African global experience and I appeared in several documentaries including: Searching for Shaniqua and Black Eagle of Harlem. I have given keynote addresses at the United Nations and for various corporate and government organizations such as KPMG and the Transportation and Security Administration (TSA). Additionally, I have given graduation and keynote addresses at various secondary schools and universities. He sits on the editorial board for the Association of Black Sociologists’ journal entitled Issues in Race & Society: An Interdisciplinary Global Journal.
I have been recognized for my community service work by the United States Congress, the California State Senate, the New Jersey State Assembly, and several municipalities in New Jersey. I served as Vice President of the West Orange African Heritage Organization and am a Commissioner on the West Orange Human Relations Commission. I was an Advisor to the UNESCO Center for Global Education and previously served as Co-Chair for the Education Committee for the City of Newark’s African Commission and as a member on the Essex-Newark Coalition to End Homelessness.
LZ: What does you plan to do for the community? What kind of issues need to be addressed?
AK: First, I plan to be present and engaged both in congress and in my community. I will meet regularly with my constituents to determine the needs of the communities I serve. As to issues, my top three issues are Economic/Pandemic Recovery, Criminal Justice/policing, Reparations and racial Justice. (healthcare National Education, Climate Change and Labor are also part of my platform.
The Economic impact from the COVID-19 pandemic has had a rippling effect on world economies and the U.S. is no exception. We must take bold steps that look holistically at the impact of the pandemic. We must consider the financial impact to employees and employers. We must look at the health care system. We need to better understand the pandemic’s impact on all levels of education from preschool to college. We need to look at the economic toll on state and municipal governments. Congress’s response must be holistic.
Fifty-one-point four percent (51.4%) of the 10th Congressional District is black, twenty-one-point one percent (21.1%) is Latinx. Criminal Justice and Policing Reform are critical issues in this district which includes the City of Newark. We need to develop better more humanistic relationships between the citizens and the police. The senseless murders of African American citizens must end. I will support the development of Civilian Review Boards in the communities I serve, that are charged with the responsibility of helping to ensure humanizing police practices in our country. Also, African Americans get more prison time than their white counterparts for the same crimes. I will also seek to bring an end to for-profit private prisons. and there should be no profit motives for prisons or on the backs of prisoners. We must come together as a collective to solve these issues.
Reparations – American society has begun to face our historical racist past that has provided the foundation for our present social clash. Asheville, NC has set the bar in our consideration for providing reparations for African Americans, who are the descendants of the brutally enslaved in America. The federal government, via Congress and the Executive branches of government, can do no less. As for Racial Justice: We will take this moment in American history to develop the legislation, regulations and conscience of the citizens to transform our country. We will strive to create inclusive, anti-racist, and anti-discrimination policies that are clear departures from the past.
LZ: How does you see the community in New Jersey working together during the dual crises of the coronavirus and the ongoing BLM/Antifa protests?
AK: I believe that the protests whether physical, virtual, letter writing, signing petitions and other means. We cannot let this moment in American history pass without taking full advantage of the potential for change. We must also ensure that our political leaders take the virus seriously and ensure that American’s are safe. Our worsening economy is indeed a crisis which must be addressed as best we can, but not at the cost of putting people at risk. The safety of our nation’s people must come first. Congress must find new and creative ways toa adjust or remodel the economy so that it prioritizes the needs of the people and not that of business.
LZ: What priorities should Congress address, in your opinion?
AK: Congress must address the severe financial impact of COVID-19 on individuals, families, and the economy. The entire Nation is suffering, and I believe that congress must ensure that this Pandemic be taken seriously in all our states while seeking to minimize the financial crisis that Americans face. In addition, COVID-19, has further unmasked historical injustices and the impact of institutionalized racism.
The generationally compounded factors of racism, environmental and economic injustices, and political disenfranchisement have put poor people and people of color, who are at higher risks of chronic diseases such as asthma, heart attack, hypertension, and diabetes in a position where they have been more significantly impacted by COVID-19. African Americans have had higher mortality rates because of these compounded factors. Congress must push for greater inclusion and access to health care including preventative care for all, as well as a greater financial safety net for People of Color and the working class.
In other areas, as I mentioned, African Americans get more prison time than their white counterparts for the same crimes. I intend to draft legislation to produce a commission on excessive, unfair, and unjust sentencing laws and practices. The planet itself is in serious condition and our government can no longer pretend that this problem does not exist. We must act quickly and effectively to address this problem in the limited time we have left to make a difference.
LZ: Is there any other information you wish to add?
AK: I support such programs as Medicare for All. I believe that access to quality healthcare is a right not a privilege. Everyone should have the ability to seek quality healthcare when needed. There should be no fear of going bankrupt as a result of obtaining serious or life-saving medical care. Healthcare should include dental, vision, hearing, mental health, and long-term care. Current insurance costs are too high and force hardworking people to make the difficult decision to go without healthcare insurance or to be underinsured. The United States is the only major country in the world that does provide comprehensive holistic care for its citizen’s health.
I come from a family of union workers. I support the right for labor to develop and maintain unions to represent their interests. In February of 2020, the House approved the “Protecting the Right to Organize” or PRO Act that would make it easier for employees to form unions and bargain for higher wages, better benefits and improved working conditions. The act would add penalties to companies that violate employees’ rights. This bill was referred to the Senate which is unlikely to pass it. And if it did pass, President Trump has threatened to veto it. These are the kinds of laws we need to even the playing field between corporations and employees and to address income inequality. I strongly support and advocate for laws that promote unions, union membership and employees’ rights.
I support immigration reform that will provide a reasonable road to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. In addition, I support the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (“DACA”) program that prevents deportation of undocumented immigrants who arrived in this country as children and have essentially known no other homeland than the US. I also support extending Temporary Protected Status (“TPS”) for Haitian, Central American and other refugees until an appropriate immigration policy has been established and adopted.
