Andrew Donovan’s Post

I want to extend my gratitude once again to the remarkable people of Green Acres and Hollow Creek for hosting the recent candidate forum. Unfortunately, many community members did not have the opportunity to ask their questions due to the participation of the Senator, who is running unopposed, in the forum meant for candidates from District 1 and District 77. As I listened to the Senator’s remarks, I was surprised to hear him mention my name multiple times, particularly regarding his assertions about what I would do in Frankfort as a Republican if elected. While I do not engage in dirty politics or personal attacks, I believe it’s important to clarify the record. Senator, since you chose to speculate about my future actions, allow me to speak directly to the people about yours. As a Democrat in the minority, you will continue to face significant obstacles in securing the resources our community needs. Your bills may be read last, or not at all, limiting your ability to truly serve our district. Moreover, playing the victim and using divisive tactics, like invoking race, only serves to bring negativity into our community. What is especially disappointing is that a Democratic Senator from Louisville has demonstrated that it is possible to work across the aisle with the supermajority, securing over $5 million for the West End. So, where are the resources for District 1, District 77, and District 13, Senator? You’re an educated man. How about you educate our community about the real history of political parties in this country? The fact is that the Republican Party was originally the party of African Americans, while the Democratic Party has its roots in the Ku Klux Klan. What you attempted to pull at the Green Acres forum was uncalled for and lacked the class that our community deserves. And just to be clear: I’m not running against you.

My jaw literally dropped open when I heard “that” speech. 🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵 I could not end the week without addressing the commencement speech given by Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker. Here are a few nuggets to get your blood boiling: 🥵 Butker suggested that a woman’s accomplishments in the home are more valuable than any academic or professional goals or achievements. 🥵He addressed the women in the audience directly and said that they have been told “diabolical lies” about the importance of pursuing a career. That what they are really most excited about is getting married and having children. “How many of you are sitting here now about to cross this stage and are thinking about all the promotions and titles you are going to get in your career? Some of you may go on to lead successful careers in the world, but I would venture to guess that the majority of you are most excited about your marriage and the children you will bring into this world.” 🥵He called Pride Month 🏳️🌈 a deadly sin. 🥵He fanned the flames 🔥 of the patriarchy. 🥵He diminished and bemoaned diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. And that was in the first 8-minutes. What I HEARD is this: Our efforts to: -take back our bodies, -take control of our lives, -take down outdated systems, -take over arenas, -demand equity, -have more than a seat, but a voice at the table and in the boardroom IS WORKING. THANKS to the leaders at Chief for doing a little re-write of part of his rant. Stop reducing women to stereotypes or labels. It is clear that we are gaining momentum and that we are done asking for permission *or* forgiveness. Our lives. Our choice.

Today marks four years since I established Hue. I didn't fully know what it would become or that we would reach the leaders we have, but I was clear on the vision from Day 1: Equity and prosperity, for the health and wealth of our communities. As I look back on what's happened since then, it's both inspiring and disheartening to see how far we have and haven't come collectively. This isn't about my company, my team, or me. It's about the community we've built and those we represent. It's about all of us. What progress have we really made? As the movement set off by George Floyd's murder grew to a global level, we saw all sectors commit to meaningful change. The vocalization of this commitment was arguably loudest across the corporate sector. Have we seen the change we were promised? Have we seen those commitments realized? Have we seen our voices heard loud and clear? It's not lost on me that our physical health is connected to our mental and emotional health. But 84% of us are saying that our companies haven't addressed our mental and emotional needs - and notably our access to create wealth for ourselves and each other. How much longer are we expected to wait for visible progress? When will we move forward in a consistent, sustained way? When will leaders and companies put actions behind their words? If I'm not the only one feeling this, drop a comment and hit "Repost" to spread the word. *****

Why we tend to over-generalize in our relationships? In terms of your relationship with other people, you’ll tend to see them as either all good (white hats) or all bad (black hats). It’s very difficult for us to see someone as great at work but not a very good community man. It’s hard to believe that a congressman who has done such great things for the community might be committing adultery on his wife – or at least it used to be hard to believe this. We tend to over-generalize information about a person into other areas. In viewing other people, we need to realize that competence or character in one area of their life doesn’t mean that they have competence or character in another area of their life. We can’t project their attributes in one area to another area. (For details, please read the blog: https://lnkd.in/dUyhH5Gt written by my mentor: Rob Bogue) #cognitivebias #overgeneralize

Once upon a time in the land of the political jungle, a curious creature emerged. This creature, known as Sen. J.D. Vance, clawed his way up from the depths of impoverished obscurity to the bright, if often blinding, lights of the capital city. Republicans gleefully touted his rags-to-riches tale, hoping his ascension might be the good fairy tale desperately needed. But hold your applause; the Democrats aren’t letting this storyline go unchallenged. With the strategic brilliance of a master chess player confronting a gung-ho rookie, they aimed to box in Vance as just another reincarnation of Trump—this time with a different name but playing the same, old songs. In the wild after-trump selection chaos, President Biden, armed with his retort shield, declared that a Vance by any other name would still smell as Trump. **Consider this:** - What happens when the novel character in our political zoo is reduced to a sequel nobody asked for? - Vance’s backstory might as well come with a Hollywood script—you've got the makings of a Hunger Games sequel but with gladiators in business suits. Republicans are betting on resilience and relatability. But here’s the twist—how will Vance's Cinderella story hold up when the clock strikes midnight and the ball is over? Foreseeing the path ahead, one might predict that Vance’s journey won't be as straightforward as juggling issues with a simplistic hero narrative. Republican strategists might find their golden goose shedding feathers rather than laying eggs. While voters love a story they can relate to, what happens when relatability meets reality and the legislative complexities that can't be solved with a glossy cover photo? This turns into more than just a battle of political wills—it’s an exploration of narratives: - Can an authentic tale enamor an audience tired of fictionalized performance? - When the spotlight moves from the primaries to the perilous halls of Washington, will Vance rise or revert? In the end, it all brings us back to the very heart of modern politics—the war of perception over the reality of positions. And through this jungle, we'll watch, critique, laugh, perhaps cry, and inevitably, tune in for the next episode. #Politics #USSenate #GOP #JDVance #PoliticalTheater #Election2024 #VoterEngagement #NarrativeWars #EmergingLeaders For more moments of reflection and projection: https://lnkd.in/emdgfXDV

Forward Party... I told you so. President Joe Biden dropped out of the presidential race passing the mantle to Vice President Harris... giving Harris 107 days to mount a campaign. If the Forward Party had taken my advice, running America's first "anti-campaign", supporting American Hip-hop icon Michael "Killer Mike" Render of Georgia, a battleground state, the party would have been in a prime position to capture democrats, republicans, and independents who were unenthusiastic about their Presidential choices. Presidential candidate Jill Stein opted to enter the race, receiving 0.4%, approximately 628,129 votes. America was hungry for change, part of the allure of President elect Donald Trump's appeal. Hip-hop, coming from America's oppressed class of African-Americans and Puerto Ricans, has been an international voice of possibility, drawing attention to both the realities of capitalism and the possibilities. Michael "Killer Mike" Render would have engaged politically disengaged voters that Donald Trump and Kamala Harris could only dream of doing. Trump and Kamala Harris both attempted to tap pop culture, but specifically Hip-hop by seeking endorsements from celebrities such as Beyonce, Cardi B, Bad Bunny, Jennifer Lopez, and many more. We had the rare opportunity to change the world, but we didn't... because America is founded upon ignoring a n***a with an attitude. America had a good run. #TheFutureWasKiller #Politics #PresidentialRace #Hiphop Lindsey Williams Drath

Let's start a conversation! 💬 What are your thoughts on how healthcare systems can better address the unique healthcare needs of Black communities? Share your insights and ideas in the comments below. Together, we can drive positive change! #HealthEquity #CommunityCare #ShareYourVoice

Fascinating read from Molly Jong-Fast for Vanity Fair, which serves as her introduction to David Friend’s rollicking warts-and-all book: How the Naughty ’90s Set the Stage for Today’s Tragicomedy. You couldn’t have 2020s America—and the half-witted half-decade of Trump that preceded it—without the 1990s. Newt Gingrich walked so that Donald Trump could run. The Brooks Brothers’ Riot (okay, it happened in November of 2000, but you get the idea) was the Oxford-cloth precursor to the fur-lined, horned-hat insurrection of January 6, 2020. Everything that happened in the weird, wild, horrible, sexually repressed decade(s) we are living in now were stage-set in the weird, wild, manic, sex-charged 1990s. You can’t understand the polarized power dynamics of 2020s Washington without understanding the culture-war standoffs (Family Values! Dan Quayle vs. Murphy Brown! Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell!) that defined politics in the 1990s. The Trump impeachments are merely another chapter in our country’s fraught relationship with impeachments. Obviously, having an affair in the West Wing with a White House intern is not the same as trying to overthrow American democracy. But in both cases, the congressional mechanism for punishment was the same. And so many of the wheels of American democracy that failed to hold Trump accountable for his numerous crimes were originally perverted for political purposes in the 1990s. You can’t make sense of Trump without first taking a long, hard look at Bush I, Clinton, and Bush II. You can’t understand today’s 24/7, scandal-fueled, online-omniscient media without looking at the tabloid-tinged, innuendo-drenched cable news carnival that shaped it. The past is always prologue. Nothing ever makes sense in a vacuum. History repeats itself; in this case, the first act as farce, the next as tragicomedy.

In 2016, I was sad because I had no idea how this happened in Georgia. In 2024, I’m angry because I feel like I know the answer to that question in my hometown state. For the past 10 years, my job has been to reimagine what the future of Atlanta can be. I’m now sitting with the reality that the next 10 might need to be focused on also preventing it from becoming the worst version of itself. I am no stranger to disappointment in politics, although this outcome strikes heavier in gravity and scale. The antidote to that disappointment for me has always been to recenter myself in my why and a remind myself who I do this work for. My inspiration rarely comes from characters on political pedestals, but rather, I find it in the unseen stories of organizers and community leaders who show up in spite of how this country treats them and their communities. To be honest and authentic in this work will require us to hold performative, self-proclaimed “progressives” accountable when they inevitably barter their public service for proximity to power; while also calling out “conservatives” who conveniently compartmentalize their faith when “that’s just the way he talks” turns into “I didn’t know he would actually do that.” My privilege to critique our politics comes with a deep responsibility to protect the people who will be most impacted by public policy that is rooted in racism, xenophobia, and misogyny. Even those who vote against their own interests. That is public service. And I take that responsibility seriously– now more than ever. I intend to move with greater urgency and more intentionality. And most importantly, I intend to do this in the only way that works: from a place of love, courage, and with a whole lot of other people who will fuel their sadness, fear, and anger into meaningful action.

JD Vance: The Republican DEI Hillbilly Hire #9 Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the modern marvel of diversity in politics, where our GOP trailblazers have unveiled their pièce de résistance: JD Vance, the Republican DEI Hillbilly Hire. In an unprecedented move, they've plucked a man straight out of "Hillbilly Elegy" to embody their vision of inclusivity. Quoting the man himself, JD Vance once wrote, "Hillbilly culture at the time (and maybe now) blended a robust sense of honor, devotion to family, and bizarre sexism into a sometimes explosive mix." Truly, what better qualifications for today's political landscape? The Republican Party has long sought to bring in fresh voices and perspectives, and what could be fresher than the scent of moonshine and cornbread? In a surreal twist that even Hunter S. Thompson couldn't have foreseen, the GOP's commitment to diversity now includes a "hillbilly" flavor. As the good Doctor of Gonzo Journalism might say, "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro." And weird it is. Imagine a world where the party of old money and country club sensibilities proudly displays its new mascot: the bootstrapping, down-home raconteur from the hollers of Appalachia. But let’s not be too harsh. After all, Vance's ascension is a testament to the American dream. It’s a rags-to-riches story that doubles as a rags-to-riches-to-Congress story. Our nation's leaders can now pat themselves on the back, knowing they've checked the DEI box with someone who understands both the plight of the common man and the rarefied air of Ivy League halls. So here’s to JD Vance, the Republican DEI Hillbilly Hire. A true symbol that in America, even a humble hillbilly can rise to the pinnacle of political inclusion—provided he’s got the right connections and a bestselling memoir. The American Dream is alive and well, and it's dressed in overalls. 🌊😂🌊🦈🌊😂🌊🦈🌊