The Democratic National Committee (DNC) hosted a lush fundraiser on July 20 at Atlanta’s fabulous Georgia Aquarium. The event was held to support Democratic hopeful Stacey Abrams’ gubernatorial campaign. Abrams, who is running in the state of Georgia, stands to become the first black female governor in the United States. Notable Democratic speakers were in the house, according to The Atlantic. Rep. John Lewis, Sen. Corey Booker and former Attorney General Eric Holder took the stage to foster support for Abrams.

“We have to get out and vote like we’ve never voted before,” Lewis encouraged.

Given the Democratic Party’s foul-ups over the last several years, Tom Perez, the DNC chair, issued an apology of sorts to the crowd, but more specifically African Americans who made up the majority.

Perez said, “I am sorry,” before stating, “We took too many people for granted.” He went on, “and African Americans—our most loyal constituency—we all too frequently took for granted. That is a shame on us, folks, and for that, I apologize. And for that I say, it will never happen again!”

Yeah, shame on y’all for pandering for money and votes in a room full of wealthy black folks—and shame on black folks, if we perceive Perez’s actions to be anything other than political pimping. The Democrats have been fully aware of the numbers and the strength and commitment in black votes since the Great Depression when Franklin D. Roosevelt introduced the “New Deal,” which benefitted more white people than blacks. And the recent proof is evident in election turnouts for former Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama and more recently Sen. Doug Jones (D-AL). Black people have always shown up for the Dem party, yet the opposite is not true. When it comes to addressing issues affecting over 43 million African Americans of which 87 percent of voters identify as Democrat, the Democratic Party itself is guilty of playing possum.

Democrats are much like abolitionists in atoning their depravity toward black people. Sure, some abolitionists were integrationists who believed slaves deserved full and equal rights according to the law of the land. However, there were also emigrationists, territorial separationists and compensated emancipationists, who felt freed slaves should be sent to Canada and Mexico; slave owners should be compensated for sending free blacks to accepting regions and those who thought blacks should be settled in black villages away from whiteness. Any of this sound familiar? Think about immigration. Think about public housing and Section 8 programs. Think about ghettos. Also, trust Republicans did not build these things themselves.

The Democratic Party has a shady track record as it relates to black Americans, so taking them for granted is grossly understated. In light of yet another lame apology, here are seven things the Democratic Party can do instead of its sorry ass apology:

1. Give Auntie Maxine 365 days of vacation time, personal time and comp time. Pay back her time.

Dems have not supported Waters’ amid being politically bullied by Trump and his minions. When Waters spoke against Trump’s “zero-tolerance” immigration policy, Sen. Chuck Schumer went as far as to regard Waters as “not American.”

2. Listen to a black woman, dammit; chances are you might learn something. 

When you’re a black woman in politics, the odds are never really in your favor. Donna Brazile found this out the hard way when she took the helm of the DNC as interim chair. Her short time in that role exposed inadequacies that resulted in the party’s 2016 presidential loss, such as Russian email infiltration and mismanagement of campaign funds. Brazile wrote about these claims in her 2017 memoir Hacks. When the book hit shelves, s**t hit the fan, and Democrats threw all of Donna Brazile away, for merely airing out their dirty laundry or rather pointing out flaws and how the party could improve.

3. Compensate families who were unfairly affected by the war on drugs and get some diversity training for your whole damn party!

The “superpredator” tag Hillary Clinton placed on black youth when her husband Bill was president was egregious. Dems should have checked such violent and stereotypical language from the then-first Lady. Had they done so, perhaps Hillary would not have lost the 2016 presidential election and maybe the nation would not have a babbling idiot as the commander in chief. It took the actions of a young #BlackLivesMatter protestor to force an apology from Mrs. Clinton 20 years later. While we’re on the topic of taking L’s, many blacks were affected by Clinton’s severe and targeted drug policy. Many lost their freedom and served years behind bars for petty drug offenses; whole families were evicted from low-income housing for drug charges given to a single family member leading to mass incarceration and homelessness.

4. Create jobs to go with some of that welfare reform, ones that pay a living wage (and set the record straight on who the real welfare queens and kings are).

In 1976, former President Ronald Reagan waged war on the welfare queen. Former President Bill Clinton made good on Reagan’s promise by implementing his version of welfare reform which left rolls of recipients in dire straits. 

5. Require police officers to pursue white protestors and rioters with the same tenacity they use to seek and criminalize black citizens.

Police-sanctioned violence — during the Ferguson, St. Louis, protest and Baltimore riots — was a slap in the face and a result of martial law that was enacted by a Democratic administration. Protestors were challenged, threatened and beaten by police as they demonstrated their frustration and anger over the deaths of Michael Brown and Freddie Gray at the hands of rogue police. What started as peaceful protests, erupted into a melee of violence between citizens and law enforcement. White rioters who tear up the streets and businesses after football and hockey games, and who march with tiki torches in the name of white supremacy never get that smoke.

6. Stop acting like systemic racism is a thing of the past; acknowledge and address black issues. They exist. 

Black issues are national issues. Though most American presidents ignore systemic challenges plaguing black communities, we hoped the first black president would at least make an honest attempt. Afterall, he did run on a platform of hope — and millions of black Democrats mobilized to get him in office. Obama did speak on the brutal killing of Trayvon Martin and participated in a town hall meeting or two to discuss race in America; however, he mostly shied away from the severe matters preventing blacks from getting a foothold in life like unemployment, mass incarceration and housing discrimination. He did have time to offer a poundcake speech to a few black absentee fathers, though. 

7. Impeach this fool (or at least have him committed).

Dems (Corey Booker) dared to insinuate blacks had something to do with Trump's election win by not turning out to vote for Clinton, opposed to 52 percent of white women who voted for Trump.

Hopefully, Stacey Abrams is not a sacrificial lamb being used to lure blacks back into the Democratic fold. Abrams is a candidate to reckon with and not just one for the record book. As an agent of civic duty, she started the New Georgia Project and produced over 200,000 new voter registrants — all people of color. As a leader, she works for people at the margins, having blocked bills to raise taxes on the poor and cut reproductive care. She is someone black people can get behind without having to claim a set because more times than not it’s about the candidate and not the party. That’s where all allegiance should lie.

The Democratic Party could learn from Abrams by working for the people, keeping its word, respecting allies and instead of apologizing, quit lying. It’s not a difficult thing to do.