“Our African-American communities are absolutely in the worst shape they’ve ever been in before. Ever. Ever. Ever.”
— Donald Trump on Tuesday, September 20th, 2016 in a speech in Kenansville, N.C.
***
OUR? African American communities are in the worst shape ever?
Perhaps you didn’t have a flunky read you the memo Donald.
If you paid attention while hiding in school during Vietnam, you’d realize how utterly wrong you were.
The day I was born.
No one could separate me from my family.
I wasn’t beaten for learning how to read.
I am no ones property.
I went to a non segregated college where I flirted with and dated all kinds of women yes, even white women, no one lynched me for it.
My spouse is white, our marriage is legal.
I have the right to vote.
I write and go to the movies and play with toys for a living.
I own my own home.
My kid goes to Montessori school. With kids of all ethnicities, genders, religions or none.
Are things perfect? Far from. I recognize there is a lot of violence, poverty and ignorance.
But Donald, I’ve seen your rallies, that can be said about White American communities as well.
We have a long way to go as a people, but having survived and thrived, considering where we started and the goal line always being moved against us?
I’m confident my children and their children will get much farther than I did.
Is that why you fear us? Fear us enough to shoot us unarmed hands raised?
Of course you realize how misguided your statement was.
Your “Outreach” isn’t for black votes, it’s for white votes.
The whites that are ashamed to publically support you and climb into your “basket”.
But, because language is important, I don’t leave my people’s narrative for you to define.
Today’s trials are no where near what Black communities endured for 400 years in the Americas.
Not. Even. Close.
To infer otherwise is to both ignore our history, and erase thier sacrifice.
You see Donald, you may get yourself elected on white fear that the sky is falling.
But for me, and my people, you can’t frighten us with fantasy.
We’ve survived the belly of the beast. Our dawn is breaking.
I am the hope and dreams of my ancestors.
I stand proudly on their powerful shoulders.
You, and those just like you, only stand in our way.
And , if past is prologue, you and your kind will be moved.
Art credit -wiki
He was speaking of black communities, not oppression by whites, no? Even during their greatest oppression (slavery) they had a sense of family, community (which speaks volumes in and of itself). Today, black neighborhoods in the inner city are combat zones where boys are killing and dying every day, day after day. A black man today is 90% more likely to be killed by another black man then the police as gangs and hoodlums are running their world like terrorist organizations, striking fear of reprisal into anyone that would dare speak up, and no one seems to want to notice.… Read more »
DJ, Thank you for reading. You’ve made many familiar and inaccurate statements that I will try to address. Because I think it’s important if not for you. But others who may want to expand their base of knowledge around this subject which is near and dear to me. For obvious reasons. He was speaking of black communities, not oppression by whites, no?” You can’t separate one from the other. Ever heard of “Black Wall Street”? It was one of the wealthiest black communities in the 29th Century. Until whites destroyed it and murdered 300 residents. http://www.blackwallstreet.freeservers.com/The%20Story.htm Black People wherever they… Read more »
Thanks for reading DJ, I’ve got to challenge a fair amount of your statements. “He was speaking of black communities, not oppression by whites, no?” You can’t separate one from the other. Ever heard of “Black Wall Street”? It was one of the wealthiest black communities in the 20th Century. Until whites destroyed it and murdered 300 residents. http://www.blackwallstreet.freeservers.com/The%20Story.htm Black People wherever they are are oppressed by whites. This is basic to even start a discussion. Racism is real. It exists. Or don’t you realize that? “Even during their greatest oppression (slavery) they had a sense of family, ” Actually,… Read more »
Not at all what I was contending. You are arguing both sides of the equation here. “Black People wherever they are are oppressed by whites. This is basic to even start a discussion. Racism is real. It exists. Or don’t you realize that?” Is the best way to start a conversation, where one is concerned, by inferring that they are racist? I never denied that that racism exists, but those racists are not shooting people in those neighborhoods, and that is why the conversation never gets off the ground. To argue some facts, but deny others is not conducive to… Read more »
It’s interesting DJ that you and I come from the same inner city background and have glaring similarities in how we see things. Your response was spot on.
But falling upon deaf ears, Tom.
Here’s how I see it. Ignoring the fact that I’ve worked with and on behalf of minority kids for the past 15+ years, I was told that I have no right to speak for them because I’m not black. Interestingly, the black community has every right to speak for whites. You and I have opinions but those opinions and observations are minimized or discarded simply because we’re white.
Unfortunately, many in minority communities are shouting out with views similar to ours and are also falling on deaf ears. Deaf ears of the people who claim to care.
Because in life two things can be true. Black People as a whole can and face systemic racism and they can personally thrive within that system once they are empowered. The first step in avoiding a trap is knowing it’s there. “Today? Examine the rate of illegitimacy in the black community. No one is selling their children, those men are walking away, leaving trophies behind as a means of proving their manhood.” I’m not inferring you’re racist. I’m telling you your suppositions about Black People are racist. I don’t care how many black friends you had. http://dailycaller.com/2013/09/27/duke-prof-white-people-are-the-problem-racism-everywhere/ Morrison’s words are… Read more »
“I’m not inferring you’re racist. I’m telling you your suppositions about Black People are racist. I don’t care how many black friends you had.” Roots was an example in parody. “Even roots touched on it”. Jesus, are you even reading the words, or does your need to prove that I’m white, that I just don’t get it supersede that? This is why we can’t have this conversation. You are not interested in discussing, seeking solutions, but dredging up the past and laying blame, dismissing, playing the only victim as if life is glorious for the rest of us. Sorry, I… Read more »
“You can have whatever opinions you like, you can impose your morality or standards on people you don’t know nor bothered to actually interact with.” a low blow and a major assumption on your part, yes? Not knowing my background, you could say the same thing to me.
It takes millions as long as those millions fit into your box? “Morality” and “standards”? Which ones are being imposed that are detrimental to the black or any community for that matter?
Great reply to DJ. People like DJ and Tom Brechlin also seem to forget that white collar crime has gone up in the 36 years and it was caused by wealthy white people and corporate lobbyists who have done everything to prevent the government from regulating them let alone prosecuting them which has led to nearly half the American population living near or below the poverty line: http://www.alternet.org/economy/half-america-or-damn-near-close-living-poverty. DJ talks about finding the problem and fixing it. Well, that doesn’t mean much when the 1% don’t want the problems to be fixed unless it is their problems that need to… Read more »
This is a very thorough and thoughtful reply. Nice work, Alex
Brian-
Thank you for reading. And thanks for the kind word.
Peace.
You hit the nail on the head DJ. I’ve been saying the same thing for quite some time. And your point that people are afraid to speak out is spot on. “Economics professor Walter E. Williams writes: “According to the 1938 Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences, that year 11 percent of black children and 3 percent of white children were born to unwed mothers.” In mid-1960s America, the nation’s out-of-wedlock birth rate (which stood at 7.7 percent at the time) began a rapid and relentless climb across all demographic lines, a climb that would continue unabated until 1994, when the… Read more »