On Blacks For Trump
Trump famously begun his campaign on a birther movement and echoed to minority voters “what do you have to lose?” Three years after at the RNC convention, speakers seemed to gloss over how ‘good Trump has been for African Americans’. Therein, there was outcry by some Black speakers at the convention at being free from the ‘democrat’s slavery mentality’ and ‘politicizing of Black issues.’ Those speakers professed looking at history, as well as the previous administration as indicators that ‘Republicans are better for minorities.’
Albeit in historical accounts, the common argument is Republicans freed slaves or the democrats and the KKK. Per contra, stating that without the historical context or study of the shift in policy in the 60s as well as the Republican southern strategy is largely misleading. Was there a time when Black people supported the Republican Party? Definitely, as demonstrated in the 19th century, and that was in part due to their policies to protect voting and civil rights.
Major shifts transpired though, “The devastation of the Great Depression, combined with the promises of programs of the New Deal, led Black voters into the Democratic Party. The vast majority of Black voters supported Franklin D. Roosevelt for president in 1936. The passage of the Civil Rights Act in 1964 and the Voting Rights Act in 1965 led to an even greater shift toward Democrats, who sponsored both measures.”1
African Americans phased by the shifts had gone through a lot to simply ride the wave or trust empty words. They wanted policy changes, to be heard, to be treated fairly thus the claims that Black voters are being brainwashed or stick to the Democrats as it is the norm or mentality is overtly gas lighting. If the GOP truly wanted to gain Black voters, they could simply change their policies as they thought of doing after Obama won the second term, instead of just focusing on pleasing their White base & donors.
The GOP in the recent years has had a record of maligning People of Color. “Hajnal and Horowitz estimate that black poverty declined by 38.6 percent under Democratic leadership, while it grew by 3 percent under Republicans. From 1948 to 2010, black unemployment fell by 7.9 percentage points under Democrats and increased by 13.7 points during Republican administrations.”2
Furthermore, the touting of reduction in Black Unemployment because of Trump is skewed as it began during the previous administrations and there was barely a specific policy by Trump that directly led to the reduction. In fact, the unemployment numbers rose due to Covid 19 which Trump treated as a hoax even though it disproportionately affected people of color.
Not only that, there were reports that Jared influenced rejecting help to blue states, which have large minority populations, as it would help Trump politically. Such sentiments are not new as the GOP has had policies that overlook or even undermine the rights of minorities as long has it helps them politically.
A major talking point in their circles is downplaying systematic racism. Very few republican politicians would admit that the system is flawed against Black people. They choose not to address and belittle issues such as mass incarcerations, red lining, police brutality, biased criminal justice, segregation, underfunded school districts, lower wages, racial discrimination, white supremacy groups, healthcare costs, housing insecurity and economic inequality.
When Black people speak out or fight for change their voices are restricted by gerrymandering, extreme voting laws, numerous voting restrictions, gas lighting of their movements, overexertion of police force and even outright murders. To the GOP instead of dealing with such issues their objective is to reduce the voting rights of those affected.
When Kaepernick peacefully knelt, Trump and republicans chastised him, when people peacefully protested for Black Lives they were called thugs, rioters and looters. This was even after numerous reports that some white supremacy groups had infiltrated the BLM protests to cause havoc and spread violent acts. Ergo, it’s not about the protests being peaceful or chaotic but rather, about, unsettling the GOP masses and their hold of power.
This was also shown in Obama administration when they vowed to stall everything the president did good or bad, “they laid out their daring (though cynical and political) no-honeymoon strategy of all-out resistance to a popular President-elect during an economic emergency. “If he was for it,” former Ohio Senator George Voinovich explained, “we had to be against it.”3 Which in a way had racist undertones but also because they didn’t want to change the status quo. To them America has always been great and why change a system that works so well for them.
Another issue which should not be controversial and is widely supported by a majority of the country is sensible gun reforms. The republicans oppose any measures while alluding crime in democratic cities like Chicago in which the reforms might help. Ironically, they do like pointing out Blue failing cities while hiding the fact that most successful major cities and states in the U.S are Blue run.
They repealed Obamacare more than 60 times with no alternative though minorities are the ones most likely affected by lack of affordable insurance. They shout out their support for ‘Blue lives Matter’ while innocent Black lives are taken execution style on the streets. Trump is not the disease in the Republican Party but rather the revealer of their innermost desires, perceptions and policies.
With Trump the draconian views are not secret anymore as outlined by his offensive tweets and views. His lack of disavowal of white supremacists groups, having Stephen miller and other controversial figures shape his policies, dog whistling about suburbs, racist labels on Asians and Mexicans, a justice department reversing Obama era police reforms, Birtherism and Central park five says a lot of him and his enablers.
As well as statements like, “”I think the guy is lazy,” Trump said of a black employee, according to O’Donnell. “And it’s probably not his fault because laziness is a trait in blacks. It really is, I believe that. It’s not anything they can control” and “look at my African American over her.” These are patterns and traits that have been troubling even if he just acts so to please his base. Some of his extreme views have led to public shootings by his supporters and created an even deeper divide between communities in America.
On the other hand, while it may be true that Democrats sometimes over promise and not always deliver on Black issues, their platform and bills often have them in focus. The 2020 platform includes raising incomes, fighting for economic fairness & against inequality, protect voting rights, combating climate change, affordable education, removing barriers to opportunities, healthcare and lower taxes for the middle class. These in contrast to ‘what do you have to loose,’ ‘it is what it is,’ ‘all lives matter,’ ‘trickle down economics,’ ‘repealing Affordable care act,’ and ‘Corona will just disappear,’ clearly outline who is fighting for who and what.
Hence to the Black leaders supporting Trump instead of trying to defend him why not call for a shift in policies that would actually attract and uplift Black voters. Through history we have seen Black people who thought they were ‘enlightened’, like In Tulsa riots who blamed the people of color for the chaos and their views were spewed and championed by the white authorities to escape responsibility and shift blame. It’s one thing to see the light and another to be used to pawns in a conniving agenda.
If Trump and the GOP would rather dismantle the USPS, block access to voting or use Kanye to pull away votes rather than just actually fight for and include Minorities then is that standing by “true enlightenment?” Who, where and what do their policies boost in the long run? Why not just actually listen and act on the cries of a majority of people of color who are tired of being overlooked, underpaid, targeted, killed, discriminated, profiled, abused, undermined, discriminately jailed and living within a system that works against them?
1https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2020/06/18/fact-check-democrats-republicans-and-complicated-history-race/3208378001/
https://www.theroot.com/how-the-republican-party-became-the-party-of-racism-1827779221
2https://voxeu.org/article/us-economy-performs-better-under-democratic-presidents-why
https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/have-republicans-given-up-on-winning-black-voters/
3https://www.huffpost.com/entry/donald-trump-racist-examples_n_56d47177e4b03260bf777e83