As a Black man, I completely disagree with the “Make America Great Again” agenda. However, as a political journalist, I completely recognize President Donald Trump’s successful blueprint toward recruiting the Black male vote.
As a result of assertive actions to correct long-standing injustices within the criminal justice system, Trump has increased his support from Black male voters from 13% in 2016 to 21% in the 2024 election.
Trump’s blueprint was on full display when he issued a commutation to Chicago native Larry Hoover in May. But Hoover remains locked up on state charges in Illinois — handing Trump an opportunity to one-up his Democratic rivals.
Hoover grew up in the impoverished Englewood neighborhood of Chicago. He’s always been controversial in the view of government officials, but he’s been a staple in the struggle to improve the plight of those in the Black community.
During the early 1970s when Black people were plagued with the perilous impacts of unchecked racial injustices, Hoover organized his neighbors to create better living conditions, personal wealth and political power. Forced to navigate America’s unfair and corrupt socioeconomic order, he decided to operate outside of society’s norms.
Hoover formed an organization called the Gangster Disciples, or GDs, to serve as a mechanism for community empowerment. Some of the country’s most powerful families today accumulated their wealth by peddling illegal alcohol during the Prohibition era. Similarly, Hoover’s GDs got involved in drug distribution.
Hoover’s dedication to increasing political awareness in the Black community made him a target for government officials, and his participation in drug trafficking justified his incarceration. According to government records, the GDs amassed more than 30,000 members in over 28 states and were responsible for more than $100 million worth of drugs a year in Illinois alone.
Like other influential Black leaders such as Malcolm X, Hoover abandoned criminal activity during his incarceration and committed to transforming the GDs into a pure civic improvement group. In addition to changing the name of the organization to Growth and Development, Hoover published a book called “A Blueprint of a New Concept” that outlined a holistic vision for cleaning up Black communities across the nation.
From his prison cell, Hoover started 21st Century V.O.T.E., a legitimate vehicle to incorporate young Black adults into politics, and Save the Children, a community outreach program for Black children.
These initiatives, combined with Hoover’s repeated disavowal of all criminal activities, have rendered his continued incarceration, after four decades, an unjust continuance of America’s history of ostracizing Black leaders from the Black community. By issuing his commutation to Hoover, Trump gained political capital with Black men who have grown tired of the failed policies and broken promises of the Democratic Party to address criminal justice issues.
Most Black males I have spoken with understand that Trump’s infamous clemency toward people such as Hoover and hip-hop artists Lil Wayne, NBA YoungBoy and Kodak Black is mere political gamesmanship and does little to address the overall problems of mass incarceration of Black people. But sincere or not, these acts of clemency represent more than what the Democrats have offered.
The commutation of Hoover’s federal sentence and Trump’s blueprint are a rare gift to Illinois Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker, who has presidential aspirations for 2028. Pritzker could take executive action and grant Hoover his much awaited and deserved freedom.
With the bold stroke of his pen, Pritzker could separate his presidential candidacy from the damaged Democratic Party brand and provide the Black male voting bloc with a viable option during the next election.
By taking corrective action to free Hoover, Pritzker could offer clear evidence that he is courageous enough to take measured steps to right a wrong.
Millions of Black men in this country have had a negative experience with the criminal justice system. According to the Prison Policy Initiative, Black people make up about 41% of the country’s incarceration rate, despite being only 14% of the U.S. population.
In my home state of Texas, I have watched the positive efforts of Hoover and his Growth and Development organization improve the conditions of numerous Black communities throughout the state. Additionally, I have witnessed the unjust incarceration of countless Black men, like Hoover, who make significant positive contributions to their environment on a daily basis and no longer pose a threat to society.
Instead of spending millions searching for a way to counter Trump’s appeal to the Black male voting bloc, all members of the Democratic Party have to do is transform their talk into action. Pritzker can begin a new trend by following Trump’s blueprint and freeing Hoover.
Jeremy Busby is an incarcerated journalist based in Texas. His nonprofit organization, JoinJeremy, is dedicated to advancing the works of incarcerated journalists and writers across the country.
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