You Support Trump? But you’re Black… (Part I)

But you’re Arab, but you’re Indian, but you’re Asian, but, but, but… Every time I hear this, it reminds me of people who say, “You’re North African? But you’re not black…” Such an ignorant question I still hear from time to time in a world where information is at your fingertips. It may come as a surprise to some of you, but people who share the same ethnicity, culture, or dare I say, skin colour, don’t necessarily think the same way. I mean, why is it that we all have to accept that white people can support either a left- or a right-wing political view, but when it comes to us coloured folks, it surprises – and surprisingly angers – some white people that we don’t belong in the same “thought box”?

I hope you can appreciate that I’m not trying to offend anyone here. But as I said in a previous post, it’s easy to target right-wing supporters and call them narrow-minded, racists, aggressive, etc. What’s not easy is identifying the left’s racist micro-aggressions that go against everything in which they supposedly believe. So this one’s for you, my white liberal allies, those of you who are open to learning and doing better. This is also for you, my white conservative friends, but you’re less likely to commit this particular micro-aggression. Don’t mistake the latter statement as approval of your rightness; I’ll talk to you in a later post.

Truth hides within the veil of history

There’s no denying the atrocities and the injustices predominantly black communities have faced and continue to face in the United States; a deeply rooted problem from within the machine establishment commonly known as the government, and that has been dismissed by the said government as “laziness, thugs, no father presence, drug dealers,” and the terrible list of negative descriptive nouns goes on and on. If you’re denying this the way some believe that the Holocaust was fake (dear Lord, don’t get me started), then you won’t find value in reading my posts and so I wish you all the best… I guess? And when I say government, I am referring to all political wings and parties without singling out a particular party or individual. This criminal problem that’s masked as “law and order” so it doesn’t look like a problem, or illegal, is in fact the fault of all government entities that have neither collaborated nor taken responsibility and accountability for the outcomes of their policies. It’s their fault for not working together in reforming an archaic and broken system that was designed to sustain a different time in history. After all, it’s no surprise that crime and deviance change over time and space.

If it is the government’s fault regardless of the political colours in power then, now and in the future, then why doesn’t it make sense to some that BIPOC may point the blame at either direction of the political spectrum? I mean, Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves and he was Republican (or did he, really? More on that in another Sunday Preach), and the Democrats founded the Ku Klux Klan (a white supremacist terror group). Alternatively, it’s arguable that George W. Bush Sr. and Jr. and Barack Obama are allegedly modern-day oppressors of foreign countries. Meanwhile, Bill Clinton and Joe Biden found a way around Lincoln’s 13th Amendment with their Crime Bill of ’94. With BIPOC targeted from all directions, how is it so unreasonable that there may be differing views and opposing support?

Consider for a moment that your angry and indignant reactions to racialized people disagreeing with your left views go against your Anti-Racist narrative. Anti-racism, by literal definition, is the practice of opposing racism AND the promotion of racial tolerance, the latter being the key phrase. By dismissing BIPOC who are conservative or identify as right-winged, and by not inviting them to this crucial discussion because they don’t support your narrative is, in essence, racist.

Uncle Sam’s brother’s name is Uncle Tom

Over the last few months, I’ve had the unfortunate pleasure – for a lack of a better term – to see white people call BIPOC coons or uncle Toms. You know how you’re told not to use the N-word, and for good reason might I add? Well, the same goes for these two derogatory terms and here’s why.

As a white person, you cannot – and will never – fully understand or grasp the etymology or historical context of those words to permit yourself to use them. You may be viewed as “heroes” to some people because you’re under the impression that your fighting racism and that you’re an “ally”, but let it sink in for a moment that the use of these terms makes you a so-called ally of the leftist ideology and NOT BIPOC. Calling a Black person one of these terms is racist and goes against your entire belief that you are “anti-racist”. “But all my black friends call them that,” you might think, and I’ve heard people say that. Guess what? That “But…” is no different than a white person saying, “But my best friend is black.” Your job as an ally isn’t to emulate or appropriate BIPOC; yes, it is wrong for BIPOC to call each other that when we should be united and working together for peace and anti-racist policies. Namecalling is counter-productive and discredits your claim to being anti-racist even though you received your daily dose of self-validation from your friends and family.

You might now be telling yourself, “But Candace Owens, the Hodgetwins, Ben Carson, Terrence K. Williams are ruining our movement?” First of all, this isn’t your movement. Think of yourself as a guest invited by the host to show your support. Nothing irks me more than a self-righteous white liberal who tries to hijack a movement because a) they think they can do it better; b) they think BIPOC can’t figure it out on their own, and consequently projecting their superiority on them; c) they need to satisfy the burden of their guilt. Second, there’s an important factor that goes unnoticed by white liberals when they go to war against racism. To discover this factor, they must first stop dismissing BIPOC conservatives/Republicans and start asking the deep and complex questions such as why they are conservatives/Republicans. There are many possible reasons; for example, the one I’ve outlined above, history. I’ll explain one more important factor to understand why BIPOC don’t all think the same.

To be continued…

Let me stress again that this does not mean all left liberals are bad, and this is in no way an endorsement of right conservative behaviour (and vice-versa). This is a Preach to give you pause so that you give yourself the opportunity to think outside of your box.