Wouldn’t it be dope to live in a world where burning a Confederate flag was the ultimate political dog whistle, guaranteed to spike a candidate’s polls, fundraising and chances of getting elected? We don’t live in anything close to that world yet, but at least we have one US Senate candidate willing to give it a shot. Chambers, who you’ll remember from his first campaign ad, which features him blazing an L to advocate decriminalization of weed, is back with more fire, literally.
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The 60-second spot has it all: a brief history of the Confederacy, a storyline that connects that disgraceful period to constrictive policies like gerrymandering, structural inequalities in health care, voting and education which still impact Black Americans and a demand for the elimination of all remaining vestiges of Jim Crow that remain. “I believe the South will rise again, but this time it’ll be on our terms,” is the kicker we hear in Chambers’ drawl as a camera frames an immolated Stars & Bars on the ground, where it belongs. Though his campaign visuals are unorthodox, Chambers’ policies likely resonate with many left-leaning voters.
Chambers said in a statement that he supports legislation that would accelerate compassionate release of federal prisoners over the age of 60, changes to the federal judiciary, national accountability standards for police, and other measures focused on eliminating structural disparities in American society. The statement added that he “fully supports” H.R. 40, the Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African-Americans Act, which was introduced in the House last year by Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-Texas).
Chambers is trying to unseat Louisiana Sen. John N. Kennedy, a Trump-supporting Republican incumbent with an eight-figure campaign war chest. To get there, he’ll also have to beat another Democrat, Luke Mixon, in the state’s upcoming primary.
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