BAD MARKS FOR MARKEY
Black community lashes out at senator over lack of support
Old footage of Sen. Ed Markey questioning a rapper in 2007 about offensive music sparked fresh campaign fodder Tuesday after a Boston anti-violence activist highlighted the exchange and criticized Markey’s work with Massachusetts’ black community.
Monica Cannon-Grant, a Roxbury organizer who supports Markey challenger Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy III, tweeted out a clip of Markey asking rapper David Banner if his music could be “more positive.”
“On this Giving Tuesday I would like everyone to ask @EdMarkey why when @davidbanner was advocating for help for Mississippi he thought it was okay to blame his music,” tweeted Cannon-Grant. “Ed you’ve been representing us for 37 years and the Black Community continues to suffer.”
The tweet includes an edited clip from a 2007 congressional hearing where Banner testified about hip hop and its impact on violence in society. Banner, whose real name is Lavell Crump, wasn’t at the hearing to discuss help for Mississippi, but he cited his outreach in the state following Hurricane Katrina as an example of his efforts to combat violence.
“Every time your videos play, there’s not a video playing of your work on Katrina, there’s not a video of this other message,” said Markey.
“What can you do in your videos, in your music that helps to propel this more positive message at the same time?” he asked.
Cannon-Grant said Markey’s focused on the wrong thing.
“If you’re going to critique the music, then they need to change the conditions that contributed to what they’re rapping about,” she said.
Cannon-Grant also feels Markey’s testimony undermines his image as a progressive champion.
“Everyone wants to paint Markey as someone who is progressive he’s never been progressive,” she said.
Markey campaign manager John Walsh said the Malden Democrat has a decades-long record of helping minorities in the Bay State, including millions of dollars in home energy assistance and work on expanded internet capacity. Markey has also worked on climate control and reusable energy.
The heated race — and campaign mudslinging — between Kennedy and Markey has ramped up in the last few days as Bay State voters begin to emerge from a two-month stay at home order issued by Gov. Charlie Baker. The next debate between the two Democrats is scheduled for June 1.
Kennedy recently launched a $1.2 million television advertising buy touting his work during the coronavirus health emergency.