Newly-elected Lieutenant Governor Winsome Sears (R-VA) suggested several names for new caucuses after Virginia Del. Aijalon Cordoza (R) — who is black — was barred from joining the state House’s black caucus.
“We’re trying to start a new caucus. Name suggestions? The You’re Not Black Enough Caucus, The No More Division Caucus, The Welcome Caucus, The Let’s Do Away With Caucuses Caucus, The FRIEND Caucus #Virginia #inclusion #everforward,” Sears tweeted.
We're trying to start a new caucus. Name suggestions?
The You're Not Black Enough Caucus
The No More Division Caucus
The Welcome Caucus
The Let's Do Away With Caucuses Caucus
The FRIEND Caucus #Virginia #inclusion #everforward https://t.co/3q0cShRFZT— Winsome Earle-Sears (@WinsomeSears) February 4, 2022
“The We Shall Overcome Caucus, The I Can’t Believe They Didn’t Accept Me Caucus, The Watch the Trolls Come Out Caucus, The Tear Down This Wall Caucus, The Becky With The Good Hair Caucus,” Sears added in a second tweet.
The We Shall Overcome Caucus
The I Can't Believe They Didn't Accept Me Caucus
The Watch the Trolls Come Out Caucus
The Tear Down This Wall Caucus
The Becky With The Good Hair Caucus— Winsome Earle-Sears (@WinsomeSears) February 4, 2022
Cordoza told Fox News that when the black caucus denied him entry, it had made him feel as though he was “not black enough.”
As The Daily Wire reported:
“It really did offend me,” Del. Aijalon Cordoza told Fox News in an exclusive interview. “It was a spit in the face. This says to me that I’m not black enough to be in the Black Caucus, and that’s an insult.”
“Defining what ‘black’ is by these liberal criteria is frankly wrong and disgusting,” the conservative added.
…
“I wanted to become a member of the Black Caucus because I wanted to be a voice, I wanted to be a conservative voice in a group that’s normally very liberal,” he told Fox News Digital. “And I wanted to represent all African Americans, not just liberal ones. I wanted a seat at the table.”
“It’s important to have different Black voices at the table to address challenges in our community. In this nation’s history, Civil Rights leaders always understood this. I’m disappointed that the @VaBlackCaucus does not embrace true diversity,” Cordoza added in an interview with the Virginia Pilot.
"It's important to have different Black voices at the table to address challenges in our community. In this nation's history, Civil Rights leaders always understood this.
I'm disappointed that the @VaBlackCaucus does not embrace true diversity."
— Delegate AC Cordoza (@AcCordoza) February 4, 2022
Congressman Byron Donalds (R-FL) ran into a similar situation when he was elected to the United States Congress in 2020 — after reaching out to the Congressional Black Caucus on several occasions, it became apparent that he was not going to be invited to join.
As The Daily Wire reported:
The Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), which is controlled by Democrats, is allegedly refusing to let Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL), who is black, join the group.
“It’s been six months since the members who won election in 2020 were inducted into the CBC, a powerful and nominally nonpartisan group of Black lawmakers in Congress,” BuzzFeed News reported. “Donalds, who won election for the first time last year, has not been included in that group.”
“Obviously, the dominant voice in the CBC tends to be Democrat or liberal voices, and I want to bring change to that,” Donalds said earlier this year. “Yes, I’m a conservative Republican, but I think in the Black community, we have a wide range of political thought. It doesn’t always get talked about, but it exists.”