Diamond and Silk – Two Black Women that support Donald Trump. image:
Diamond and Silk /facebook
By Bill Fletcher, Jr.
NNPA News Wire Columnist
I saw it on Facebook. These two Black women at a Trump rally expressing their support for “The Donald.” I realized, once again, that there is a certain type of emotional naiveté that I possess when it comes to our people. I assume that in light of the history of White supremacy which we have experienced for several hundred years, including indentured servitude, slavery, Jim Crow segregation, and de facto segregation, not to mention the ideological demonization of our people at the hands of an assortment of characters, that we can look a racist in the eyes and know their stand.
I found myself staring at these two Black women backing Trump and I realized that I felt the same emotions about the candidacy of Dr. Ben Carson. How is it, I have asked, for a Black person to utter some of the most ridiculous statements known to humanity? It is only when I have calmed down that I remind myself that not only are we, as a people, far from monolithic, but that—despite our history—there is a very conservative, if not outright reactionary minority among Black Americans that are actually convinced that we—ourselves—are the problem or that there is some other racial/ethnic/religious group, e.g., Latinos; Muslims, who can take some of the racist heat away from us that we have experienced for so very long.
It is not simply self-hatred that we are facing. In some respects, that would be easy to address. It is that there are people who honestly believe, for whatever reason, that their personal future or our collective future resides in conforming to the worst caricatures that White America has of us. They seem to believe that by joining in on the pile-on against Latinos and Muslims, for instance, that we will somehow become accepted as “real” Americans.”
It will never happen. Some Black folks tried that after 9/11. It does not work. We are still hated. It is the revelation that the Adolph Caesar character has at both the beginning and end of the classic film “A Soldier’s Story,” i.e., the ‘game’ has been rigged and masses of Whites still hate us, even when we get on our knees and do everything that they ask.
Donald Trump called for the execution of five Black men who were accused in the Central Park brutal rape of a white woman in 1989, only for them to be exonerated. Trump calls for excluding and expelling Mexicans for allegedly bringing crime to the U.S., as if no other ethnic group has ever been or is associated with crime. Trump calls for banning Muslims from entering the U.S. for allegedly bringing terrorism despite the fact that most terrorist attacks since 9/11 have been carried out by white supremacists.
What am I missing? Is there any reason to take anyone who supports Trump with any degree of seriousness? I think not.
Bill Fletcher, Jr. is a talk-show host, writer and activist. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and at www.billfletcherjr.com.
Wanting America to thrive again. For black, white, Latino, Muslim, and every other people in the country to once again have the dignity of a decent job. For our nation to enforce our laws to not only prevent criminals from casually walking across a nonexistent border, but to also prevent immigrants working for wages it would literally be illegal for us to accept. For our country’s interests to take priority over that of other countries. For our people to take priority over the special interests that fund the halls of Washington. If you cannot see that as anything but racism, I fear you are seeing only what you are looking to find, and not looking to see what you will find.
I will not excuse Trump blaming people who were innocent. He is quick to judge, and oftentimes too quick. We should hope God will grant him the wisdom to think more before acting, and to sometimes accept he just might not have all the information. But I will also not apologize for supporting a flawed candidate that is eager to fight for a better country, to not accept the corrupt system cannot be changed. I will always support someone fighting for what is right, even if sometimes they are wrong, over someone fighting for what is most definitely wrong.
Far too often have we fallen for the man who says the right thing, and does the wrong thing. Far too often have we excused politicians proactively making our lives worse, comforting ourselves with the thought they did not intend the harm. Their intentions were good we tell ourselves, but our fellow countrymen are without a job, in prison, or even shot dead, because of these “good intentions.” When are you willing to say enough is enough?
Or to put it in more familiar words. Is there any reason to take anyone who supports Hillary Clinton or other politicians who got us where we are today with any degree of seriousness? I think not.
I think you great Ladies less make AMERICA GREAT!
no b.s.
When I see comments like the previous two, I cannot help but know that the end is rapidly approaching. These are the signs (of our time) that show how many people have actually bought the lies and are willing to fight those who try to bring truth. The fabled Willie Lynch is alive and well in 2016. However he’s working his misleading magic on all of us who currently reside here in the belly of the beast. I pray that more of us snap out of our trance before it’s too late.