It’s Make It Or Break It Time
Will the Alabama Democratic Party Survive?
One of my personal heroes is John Lewis. He served in the House of Representatives for the 5th District in Georgia from 1987, until he died in 2020. He was so recognized as a citizen of Georgia that few people realized that John Robert Lewis was born on February 21, 1940, in Pike County, Alabama. My favorite quote is “Speak up, speak out, get in the way. Get in good trouble, necessary trouble and help redeem the soul of America.” If ever there was a time, this is it!
We wake up every day to a new shock of what Trump has come up with while we were sleeping. Then there is that “other” thing that we Democrats are dealing with…..our own State Party.
The Alabama Democratic Party meets on April 26, 2025, in Montgomery. I have not gotten the agenda yet but there have been requests that a proposal will be put on the floor for a Women’s Caucus, Labor Caucus, Veterans Caucus and to put the Disability Caucus back into our Bylaws. In view of the fact that this is who we largely represent the question remains why have we not already had this? The answer is, Joe Reed and Randy Kelley. The lame excuse for taking the Disability Caucus out of our Bylaws was it was “taking to much power away from the Black Caucus.” First, the “Black Caucus” is the Alabama Democratic Conference (ADC). They are NOT in our Bylaws. They have their own Chair who is Joe Reed and their own officers, and tax number. Why do they have such a big voice in the Alabama Democratic Party (ADP)? The governing body of the ADP is the State Democratic Executive Committee (SDEC) who are elected by the membership of the SDEC. Maybe I should say “are supposed to be elected” by SDEC. Joe Reed took it upon himself to “appoint” twelve members from the ADC into the SDEC without the due process of a nomination and majority vote. This is a violation of the Bylaws. Reed is the Vice Chair of Minority Affairs and his job duties do not give him the authority to appoint people of his choice to SDEC.
Recently, Joe Reed was on a Podcast with Josh Moon with the Alabama Political Reporter and assured Josh Moon that the Alabama Democratic Party “does not need” a Women’s Caucus, Labor Caucus, Veterans Caucus or a Disability Caucus. This isn’t up to Joe Reed. It’s by the vote of the SDEC. I do not agree with Joe Reed by any means. First, without the Democratic Party, women in Alabama have no voice! The domination of the Republican Party in Alabama has been very successful in convincing the voters that Democrats kill babies. Let me be clear. The Democratic Party has never advocated for abortion as birth control or to intentionally kill a fetus that has a heartbeat. The Democratic Party supports a woman’s right to choose. This goes much further than abortion. Women have had to fight for generations for their rights to equal pay, discrimination in the workplace, healthcare, the right to own land, and voting among other things. In the last few years, representatives in Alabama, including District 4 Representative Robert Aderholt, have been in favor of banning birth control. Do you not think that the Democratic Party doesn’t need a Women’s Caucus? The majority of the Democratic Party IS women.
Alabama is a right to work state. This means that an employee cannot be required to join a Union. Unions offer workers advantages like higher wages, better benefits, improved working conditions, and job security through collective bargaining and legal protections, especially for those who face discrimination. We are seeing our present administration working to eliminate the Department of Labor. Their intention is to destroy any defense the workers have to protect their rights. This would give corporations total control over wages, and benefits, plus safe working environments. Working men and women in this country are the backbone of America. To deny them a seat at our table is unthinkable. Over the past decade, we have not served our working class with our best. A lot of them have left the Democratic Party because of it. It has cost us elections. It’s time to welcome them back into our Party.
Not enough can ever be said about our Veterans. I will never understand how anyone who is a patriot of this country could vote for someone to be the Commander in Chief of our military after he has insulted them over and over. While John McCain was a POW, Trump was living large on his Daddy’s money. To call our military “suckers and losers” and disrespect a Gold Star Family like he did cannot be justified. Now Trump’s Project 2025 plan to cut funding to our Veterans programs is a disgrace. Our Veterans put their health and lives on the front line to protect us. To disrespect their service by slashing their benefits is a disgrace. Chairman Randy Kelley is an Army Veteran himself, so why would he be against having a Veterans Caucus in the Alabama Democratic Party?
For some time now we have been fighting the present leadership to reinstate the Disability Caucus. Joe Reed has been adamantly opposed to it and Chairman Kelley strongly backs him up. The Disabled not only include some of our Veterans, but also babies who are born with disabilities. Until Joe Reed worked against the Disability Caucus to eliminate it, the ADP had a large membership in this Caucus. Reed has made several comments that these caucuses will “reduce the power of the Black caucus.” Well, actually, it reduces the power of Joe Reed. The way this system is set up is directed to give Reed power in the ADP that he has not only abused but violated. He chairs the party’s powerful Black caucus, the Alabama Democratic Conference. He has the power in selecting at-large executive committee members and thus controlling who is elected chairperson of the party. No one person should have that much control over our party. Reed and his supporters have claimed the move to dismantle all of these caucuses was race based to limit the power of the Black vote. But those who supported the addition of the new caucuses point out that more Black members became executive committee members, because the additional caucuses included a number of new Black members, and that the change made the party more inclusive. He has made this all about race and it continues to divide our Party.
The Alabama Democratic Party has spent more time and money in the last ten years in fighting among ourselves. This continues to weaken our Party. We are not getting enough candidates on the ballots and Democrat voters have stayed home and not voted. We can either continue to travel down this road of self-destruction or we can come together.
We will find out on April 26, 2025, just who we are. Are those who need representation in Alabama going to be denied a place at our table or are we going to live up to who we claim to be and open our door? Is Joe Reed going to stand up in front of the room and rant and interrupt speakers and disrespect our Bylaws or will Chairman Kelley take control of the room and ask him to sit down? Will this be another contest of Black v White members staged by the racist comments from the Alabama Democratic Conference or will there be mutual respect in the room?
We have a lot at stake here. We have so many dramas that keep going to the DNC that we should be capable of settling ourselves. Our focus should be on saving this Party, building it up, getting stronger together and looking forward to a better future. We have lost to much already to continue down this road. This meeting on April 26th is going to define who we are and where this Party is going. Everyone is watching us to see what we do.
This is make it or break it time.
Lynda Kirkpatrick
Chair Marion County Democratic Party
HD 17 Rep SDEC Alabama Democratic Party
Vice Chair Alabama Democratic County Chairs Association District 4
