PLATFORM
Rev. William Summerville pledges to support Comprehensive Reparations for Black, African American Descendants of US Chattel Slavery as a first step towards dismantling the effects of systemic racism in America. However, a Black Agenda (inclusive of non-African American Descendants of Chattel Slavery) needs to be added in addressing the pervasive problem of global white supremacy.
Unfortunately, America is stolen land within and of itself. We can never be “united” as a nation until First Nations people have their own sovereignty. We need to treat First Nations with the respect, dignity, and equity that is long overdue. Rev. William Summerville is committed to restoring Native American Treaties that remain ignored. This includes but is not limited to preserving reservation land, discontinuing the persistence of corporate fracking on tribal lands, and addressing health disparities.
Contrary to popular belief, immigration reform is not the most pressing issue for Latin Americans. Society for far too long has bought into that default narrative. The problems of fair labor, service industry support, and state-sanctioned profiling of bias over safety remain a persistent threat to the existence of the Latin American community. As your representative, Rev. William Summerville promises to bring this conversation to the Hill.
The rise and notoriety of anti-Asian hate crimes is a symptom of the ongoing blind spot that assumes that the Asian American community is a monolith culture instead of many distinct cultures including Vietnamese, Cambodian, Filipino, Korean, Chinese, Mongolian, Indian, and South Asian communities to name a few. We cannot talk of solidarity with our Asian family unless we continue to focus on the brutal past of anti-Asian policies of exclusion involving our government.
As your representative, Rev. William Summerville will advocate for women’s rights and safety. Issues to highlight are equal pay, women’s physical and mental well-being, access to equal opportunity and power, caregiving support, and extended maternity leave. This includes pro-choice reproductive justice, body-autonomy, and access to family planning resources and healthcare without government interference or invasion of privacy. Maternity leave should be expanded beyond the confines of childbirth and inception; especially for children with special needs that daycare, education, and babysitting cannot address.
Rev. William Summerville will advocate for people’s labor protections, right to organize, increased minimum wage tied to inflation, and have fair pay protections. He will introduce legislation focusing on “Mourning Leave”. As a Hospice Spiritual Care provider, he has observed and experienced first hand how the death of loved ones has a major impact on the bereaved. People experiencing the loss of a loved one need a proper amount of space to mourn. Mourning Leave would help provide the financial support, therapy, and time to have that space, which will not only help their mental welfare, but also help bring the person back to the workplace in more productive state of mind.
Rev. William Summerville believes that Americans with disabilities have the right to live independently with the same dignity and freedom afforded every other citizen. Unfortunately, despite the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) passage in 1990, a Congressional report revealed nearly a quarter of a million Americans are unfairly segregated in nursing homes, and the numbers are growing. In response, the bipartisan and bicameral Disability Integration Act (DIA) was introduced in the 115th Congress and still pending by Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Congressman James Sensenbrenner (R-WI). The DIA ensures that disabled Americans have a right to live and receive services in their own homes. In Congress, Rev. Summerville will vote to pass The Disability Integration Act because it prevents states and private insurers from denying people with disabilities their Constitutional right to liberty. The DIA also allows Americans with disabilities to remain in their homes, thereby keeping families together, and saves millions in federal and state dollars compared to institutionalization.
Protections of marriage rights were landmark legislation in the country, yet it did not ensure the safety of different sexual orientations and identification. Persons of the LGBTQ+ community should not live in fear or hide to appease a heteronormative society. Rev. William Summerville will be a legislative advocate in solidarity with the community against any restrictive policies.
As an Air Force Chaplain Veteran, Rev. William Summerville believes a significant portion of military spending should be allocated for full benefits of all identified veterans. The benefits should invest more in mental wellness and social services, not just medical care. Active military personnel wages and housing allowances must also align with the respective cost of living.
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